Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report (2)

Andrew Dismore: Do you think the recommendations made in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report go far enough? What more would you like to see?

The Mayor: I am disappointed that the Chair has chosen not to make recommendations in relation to fire suppression systems, such as sprinklers, in both new and existing buildings. The existing evidence is overwhelmingly clear that sprinklers play a highly significant role in reducing the impact of fire as part of an appropriate package of fire safety measures, not just in high-rise buildings but also in a range of other building types such as care homes and schools.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group Update

Jennette Arnold: Please provide an update on the work of the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group announced in January 2019.

The Mayor: My Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group have been working with GLA officers to undertake a range of activities including convening or hosting conferences and workshops, contributing to policy consultations and bringing together wider stakeholders, in order to influence and guide the delivery of my Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
The Advisory Group meets bi-annually and has met twice since it was established. The minutes and meeting papers are published here: https://www.london.gov.uk/moderngovmb/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=446
September’s meeting pack includes a paper on the activities that Advisory Group members have led or supported from February to September 2019, across a wide range of issues. This paper can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/moderngovmb/documents/s64764/07%20Stakeholder%20Network%20Activities.pdf

Completion of Step-Free Access works at Mill Hill East

Andrew Dismore: Are the works to install step-free access at Mill Hill East progressing on schedule, and when do you expect this to become operational?

The Mayor: Work to make Mill Hill East Tube station step free is progressing well. The lift shaft has been installed and is now being fitted with the lift car. The lift is scheduled to be brought into use in March 2020 though Transport for London is seeking to expedite this process.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report (1)

Andrew Dismore: Do you support all the recommendations made in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report?

The Mayor: The London Fire Commissioner and I accept and support all of the Chair’s recommendations. The recommendations will now need to be considered carefully by the Brigade, the government, the fire sector as a whole and by every building owner and manager across the country.
I personally will do everything within my power to ensure that the Inquiry’s recommendations are implemented, and I will be relentless in holding to account those responsible for implementing the remaining recommendations.
I will be working with the London Fire Brigade to make the changes needed and I will be publishing regular updates on progress against each of the recommendations. I will continue to support the community throughout this process, including through phase 2 of the Inquiry, which will examine how the conditions that allowed this terrible fire to spread could ever have been allowed to occur.

Housing Pressures Facing Schools (2)

Jennette Arnold: We also recently heard at Education Panel of the difficulties facing schools and Boroughs in relation to place allocations and highly mobile populations, which is strongly linked to housing insecurity. How do you support Boroughs tocoordinate overcoming this challenge, and how do you support families facing insecure housing so that their children’s education is not interrupted?

The Mayor: Sharp rent rises and steep cuts in benefits have compounded the insecurity faced by the growing numbers of families in the private rented sector. Many are having to move frequently – and often significant distances, in search of more affordable rents. Growing numbers of families are also ending up in temporary accommodation, increasingly away from their local area. This can be really disruptive to children’s education.
To address the root causes of this I am doing all that I can to increase London’s supply of social rented and other genuinely affordable homes. I am also lobbying the Government to adopt the policies to improve security and affordability in my blueprint for the private rented sector.
Meanwhile, I am working with boroughs to help them secure temporary accommodation for homeless families that is more likely to be local – both through funding the PLACE (Pan-London Accommodation Collaborative Enterprise) initiative and contributing to development costs for Capital Letters.

Recruiting BAME teachers (1)

Jennette Arnold: Thank you for your answer to question 2019/20070 on Teach London. How exactly will the programme be accelerating the recruitment of BAME teachers specifically?

The Mayor: Over the next eighteen months my Teach London campaign is planning to fund a project which supports the recruitment and retention of BAME teachers. The project aims to raise the profile of teaching as a career for those from a BAME background and support BAME teachers to stay and progress in the profession.
Potential areas of focus are mentoring for early career teachers, targeted support for school support staff to become qualified teachers, workshops which deliver training and coaching to grow skills and confidence for existing under-represented teachers and increasing the ethnic diversity of the talent pool for senior roles. The specific activities of the project will be determined through a competitive bidding process.
The project will test out approaches which if rolled out more widely could increase the number of BAME teachers in London.

Housing Pressures Facing Schools (1)

Jennette Arnold: How do your housing programmes support provision of affordable housing for teachers across London? What progress has been made during your mayoralty to make it easier for London’s teachers to find affordable housing?

The Mayor: The Teach London campaign provides information to prospective and current teachers on affordable housing options in London. This is in response to research conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) in 2018 which found that the high cost of housing is the most important factor in teachers leaving London.
The Teach London web pages direct teachers to my Affordable Homes Programme. This includes my London Living Rent scheme which I introduced for households with incomes of no more than £60k a year. Teachers may also qualify for the London Shared Ownership home scheme, where households with incomes of no more than £90k a year buy a share of a home and pay low rent on the remaining unsold share.
Teachers can also use my Homes for Londoners online portal which helps them search for affordable homes in the city.

South London Tram

Florence Eshalomi: What discussions, if any, has TfL had with Tram Power   about their plan for a super-tram between Denmark Hill and London Bridge? What were the results of those discussions?

The Mayor: TfL has had several meetings with Tram Power to discuss their Southwark Supertram proposal, most recently in October 2019.
TfL has provided advice on the feasibility of the scheme and has identified a range of issues that would need to be addressed before it could be determined whether the impacts on other transport modes are acceptable. Tram Power has also been advised on the scope and scale of assessment that would be required for an application for planning consent.

Recruiting BAME teachers (2)

Jennette Arnold: What targets do you have for Teach London’s recruitment of BAME teachers?

The Mayor: The Teach London BAME teacher recruitment and retention project as referred to in Mayor's Question 2019/20633, will include specific outputs such as the numbers of prospective teachers reached and engaged in its activities. The project will aim to raise the profile of teaching as a career for those from a BAME background and support BAME teachers to stay and progress in the profession.
Through Teach London and my Getting Ahead London programme I am supporting schools, teacher training providers and boroughs to improve the diversity of the teaching workforce in London. I am not in a position to set London teacher diversity recruitment targets, but I will continue to work with the Teach London partners to identify what other action I can take to support them to increase the diversity of the capital’s school teachers.

Clarity for Education Funding

Jennette Arnold: What discussions have you had with the Department for Education to gain clarity on London’s funding allocation for schools?

The Mayor: The key analysis by London Councils on the London implications of the Department’s school funding allocations has been shared with me and is now published at: www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/our-key-themes/children-and-young-people/funding-pressures/funding-london-schools-202021. London Boroughs will see the lowest percentage increase in Schools Block funding between 2019-20 and 2020-21 (3.3% compared with 4.9% nationally) and the lowest percentage increase in High Needs Block funding between 2019-20 and 2020-21 (10.4% compared with 12% nationally). London Councils is due to publish a new Do the Math report shortly which will analyse the effects for London schools further. I will ask for the report to be sent to you.
I have urged the government this year to reverse damaging cuts and give schools the resources they need to deliver effective education and other interventions to support the most vulnerable students. In particular, I raised considerable funding shortfalls for learners with special educational needs and disabilities. I will continue to press London’s case on school funding with the new Secretary of State for Education.

Purley Fire Station

Steve O'Connell: Please can you provide and update on Purley Fire Station co-usage with the police?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) provided heads of terms to the estates consultants, Knight Frank, for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 23 July 2019 for the Dedicated Ward Officer (DWO) co-location model within Purley fire station. Purley fire station is a leased station, procured under the Private Finance Initiative. However, the MPS is currently reviewing how many wards, and therefore officers, can be accommodated at this base and the scope of facilities required. The LFB has requested a confirmed specification in order to cost the works and seek agreement to the alterations from the landlord. Once landlord agreement has been obtained and costs agreed with the MPS, revised heads of terms can be drawn up and agreed through the normal governance route.

Fire Boat Service

Susan Hall: Could the Mayor provide an update on when the new boats will be delivered?

The Mayor: The two new fireboats are scheduled to be delivered in April 2021 and August 2021 respectively.

Fire Boat Service

Susan Hall: When will the pontoon at the Fire Boat Station be fixed?

The Mayor: A redesign of the dolphin buffers securing the pontoon has been submitted and approved by London Fire Brigade (LFB) officers. It is intended for the work to be completed by the end of December 2019, though this is dependent on factors outside the control of LFB, such as the tide.

Individual cases of cancer among firefighters

Andrew Dismore: How many individual LFB employees have been signed off sick for reasons relating to cancer since 2010?

The Mayor: Since 1 January 2010, a total of 116 London Fire Brigade employees have been signed off sick for reasons relating to cancer. By occupational group, these are 5 Control staff, 26 FRS staff and 85 operational staff.

London Underground Advertising Space (3)

Andrew Boff: What is the total amount of annual revenue available from all advertising space on the London Underground network?

The Mayor: It is not possible to calculate a figure for the value of the estate on the basis of it being fully sold for an entire year.This figure would be misleading, as although there are rate cards available, the advertising sold is done so at variable rates according to demand. Demand is driven by a number of factors such as seasonality and wider economic considerations.
However, as an indication, the advertising contract generated £84,431,019 in 2018/19 for advertising on London Underground sites only.

London Underground Advertising Space (2)

Andrew Boff: How much revenue is TfL currently earning from utilising advertising space on the London Underground network?

The Mayor: The Transport for London (TfL) advertising contract generated £84,431,019 in 2018/19 for advertising on London Underground sites only.

Fast-track licensing options for live music venues

Caroline Russell: Form 696 was rightly discontinued due to concerns about racial inequality. Members of the music industry have contacted me about the need for a new, fair fast-track option to aid licensing approvals for live music venues, especially grassroots venues. Will you ask the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to introduce this option?

The Mayor: I called for the MPS to scrap the Form 696 risk assessment process because it was widely seen as discriminating against BAME artists. Following a full review, the MPS stopped using Form 696 in August 2018. Since its removal, I have launched the new Safer Sounds Partnership. The scheme is led by the music and events industry and is supported by the MPS and boroughs. It offers guidance, advice and training to venues and promoters to support safe, live events across London.
While the MPS has an important role in premises licensing, the power for issuing, or changing, licences lies with local authorities. This power, and the process that boroughs have to follow, is set by the Licensing Act 2003.
Whilst I have no statutory powers over licensing, my Night Czar chairs a monthly Licensing Liaison Group, attended by the MPS, MOPAC and borough representatives. I will ask her to raise your request at the next meeting.

PHV Licensing 1

Andrew Boff: Is it not time that the licensing of PHVs be performed by a body other than TfL?

The Mayor: No. Transport for London (TfL) was responsible for bringing private hire services into the regulatory regime. Prior to 2000, these services were unregulated and unlicensed.
TfL’s regulatory framework is widely recognised for its best practice and it is regularly asked to share its expertise with licensing authorities and organisations around the world.
TfL’s primary responsibility, as the licensing authority and regulator for taxi and private hire services in London, is to ensure public safety. It achieves this by setting appropriate standards for drivers, vehicles and operators and through robust enforcement and compliance activities, all within the confines of current legislation.
Legislation has not kept pace with the fast-moving technology in this sector, which is why I have been pressing Government for several legislative changes I believe are necessary to further enhance public safety.
TfL was an active member of the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) Taxi and Private Hire Task and Finish Group on taxi and private hire licensing. The Chair of the Task and Finish Group published his final report on 24 September 2018 and the changes that TfL and I have been pressing for were included as recommendations. I continue to urge the Government to provide appropriate legislation.

GLA Funded Open Market homes

Tom Copley: Following your response to my question 2019/17764, could I ask that this data is collected in future? As you do not have the tenure break down for market sale homes funded by the GLA, could you break down the 1,802, 2,462 and 1,150 “open market” homes funded by the GLA in the past three years into bedroom size, and whether they are houses, flats, maisonettes or other?

The Mayor: As the per the response to your previous question 2019/17764, the GLA has not directly funded the construction of these units. As such, we do not intend to hold information on the tenure breakdown (freehold, leasehold or commonhold), unit type or bedroom sizes for these units.

PHV Licensing 2

Andrew Boff: Is TfL’s PHV licensing function fit for purpose?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/20407.

Bartrip Street South and the London Legacy Development Plan

Jennette Arnold: How is your office supporting Transport for London, Hackney Council and the London Legacy Development Corporation to ensure that the Bartrip Street Site in Hackney is able to become a designated travellers site (as per the London Legacy Development Plan) and secure LLDC funding?

The Mayor: My Homes for Londoners team have been liaising with all parties to advance this and are facilitating discussions between the Council and TfL around the feasibility of the Council securing the site. Once an agreement is reached a capacity study will be undertaken. TfL has agreed to release the land for Gypsy and Traveller use, subject to funding being secured and is engaging with LB Hackney to progress this.
I would welcome a bid to my Affordable Homes Programme for capital grant funding to support this site coming forward for new Gypsy and Traveller pitches.
The LLDC recently agreed an ‘in-principle’ allocation of up to £2 million S106 monies held by LLDC as planning authority, in order to finance the feasibility stages and provide a contribution towards the delivery of the site if planning permission is achieved.

Grassroots music venues

Caroline Russell: According to the GLA Cultural Infrastructure Tool Box, less than 10 per cent of London’s music venues are classified as grassroots venues. How many of the music venues that have closed in the last 12 months were classed as grassroots venues?

The Mayor: Due to the important role that grassroots music venues play in supporting the music industry they are mapped annually to monitor change. In the 12 months to July 2019, the number of London’s grassroots music venues increased from 94 to 100. This net increase was the result of fifteen new venues being included which met the definition and nine venues being removed; seven of these due to closure, one due to closing temporarily for refurbishment; and one venue which remained open but no longer met the definition.
The wider music venues data was captured in 2018 for the purposes of providing awareness of their location. They are defined as premises which programme over six music events per year and include grassroots music venues, clubs, pubs, musical theatre and bars. Any grassroots music venues closed in the 12 months to July 2019 have been removed from this dataset.

Venue closures and the Night Czar

Caroline Russell: How successful has the Night Czar been in her stated mission to halt the trend of pubs, clubs and music venues closing in London? Please provide figures showing the number closures of these venues for the last three years.

The Mayor: Pubs, clubs and music venues are vital to our city's communities and economy. In the decade to 2016, venue numbers steeply declined, with 35 per centof grassroots music venues and 61 per centof LGBTQ+ venues lost, and pub numbers falling by 27 per centbetween 2001- 2017.
Since 2016, the GLA has saved, supported or built over 500 creative spaces. As part of this, my Night Czar has successfully helped to halt the decline of pubs, grassroots music and LGBTQ+ venues, working with over 200 cases at risk including the iconic 100 Club and Village Underground.
Since 2017 the GLA has published net annual numbers of grassroots music venues, pubs and LGBTQ+ venues. In 2018, the number of grassroots music venues and LGBTQ+ venues stabilised for the first time in a decade, at 94 and 51 respectively. In 2019, there was a net increase of grassroots music venues to 100. The number of pubs stabilised in 2017 at 3,530, increasing in 2018 to 3,540.

London Music Board

Caroline Russell: The London Music Board provides a great opportunity to support London’s grassroots music scene. Its last reported meeting was on 7 November 2017. Why is this?

The Mayor: The London Music Board was set up to implement the Rescue Plan for Grassroots Music Venues. This included tackling the decline in grassroots venues, appointing a Night Czar, implementing the Agent of Change principle and cutting onerous licensing processes. It also supported my Busk In London scheme.
Chaired by the Night Czar, the London Music Board played a key role in helping stabilise London’s grassroots music venues after ten years of decline. It ensured the Agent of Change principle was included in my new London Plan and supported the transition of Busk In London into a self-sustaining artist development scheme. The board was instrumental in scrapping the controversial Form 696 risk assessment process.
The London Music Board has delivered its objectives, however we remain responsive to the needs of the music industry. For example, following the scrapping of Form 696 we set up the Safer Sounds Partnership to support London’s live music venues.

Safety of women on night buses

Caroline Russell: Reports of violent crime and harassment on the London transport network have increased in the last few years. Women regularly report that they feel unsafe on night buses in particular. Can you tell me: a) what specific training night bus drivers receive to protect women who are being harassed or abused on night buses, and b) what other measures are in place to help keep women safe on buses at night?

The Mayor: The safety of all customers, including women and girls, is an absolute priority for me, as it is for Transport for London (TfL). TfL and its policing partners have been running a campaign called Report it to Stop It to encourage the reporting of any incident of unwanted sexual behaviour.
TfL funds over 2,000 police officers dedicated to the keeping transport safe. In addition, all buses are fitted with CCTV, with at least 12 camera positions on board a standard double deck bus. Bus drivers have an emergency call facility for any incident, and are able to contact TfL’s Network Control Management Centre directly 24/7 to get guidance or request emergency services. Bus drivers have also received training to help them understand how best to serve their customers, especially those who could be vulnerable, and are advised how to assist customers who are worried or may have experienced an incident.

ESOL

Fiona Twycross: Can you detail what action you have taken to support English Speakers of Other Language training in London?

The Mayor: I have widened access to ESOL provision by extending eligibility for Adult Education Budget funded courses to learners who earn below the London Living Wage – anticipated to enable 40,000 more Londoners to access provision. I am also building the capacity of the ESOL sector through £4.5 million of European Social Funding, supporting the professional development of ESOL practitioners and promoting community-based approaches for learners with low-level literacy skills.
I have piloted new approaches to ESOL, building on research into the availability of formal and informal ESOL in London. ESOL Plus Childcare and ESOL Plus Employers have worked with partners to test approaches for learners with childcare responsibilities, and those in low-paid and insecure employment respectively. Evaluations of these programmes will be published in the new year.
I will continue to lobby for increased ESOL funding from central government and raised this with the Education Secretary in July 2019.

Community fridges

Fiona Twycross: The Reach2 trust is going to put "community fridges" in its primary schools to provide food for families who otherwise would not be able to afford it. Will you look into the benefits of this scheme and consider whether it would be suitable for London’s schools?

The Mayor: I applaud the Reach2 Academy Trust as well as other schools and community organisations that have installed community fridges in an effort to address the impact of food insecurity and reduce levels of food waste through the redistribution of surplus food.
Food insecurity is a symptom of broader poverty and it is unacceptable that London’s schools are having to take such drastic steps to cope with the effects of cuts to welfare benefits.
I am therefore doing everything I can to address the underlying structural issues pushing families into poverty. I am supporting the Mayor’s Fund for London to deliver ‘Kitchen Social’, using the London School Food Conference to promote the benefits of universal free school meals and funding a pilot project with the Child Poverty Action Group, which has secured £50,000 additional income for struggling families in its first five weeks.

Night flights at Heathrow (2)

Fiona Twycross: Stacking of flight paths in to London City Airport and Heathrow Airport is also a serious issue for many Londoners in south and south east London. What discussions have you had with City Airport about this and will you publish your responses to both their recent consultations on Airspace Modernisation and their Master Plan?

The Mayor: Together with my Deputy Mayors and officers, I have made a number of representations to London City Airport to seek that it addresses a series of pressing noise concerns, including the cumulative impact that arises from residents exposed to noise from both Heathrow and City Airport flightpaths.
I can confirm that my response to the London City Airport consultation on its Master Plan and my submission to its airspace modernisation process have both already been published on the Transport for London (TfL) website: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/aviation

Night flights at Heathrow (1)

Fiona Twycross: Constituents in south and south east London have been experiencing increased noise levels during Heathrow’s statutory Noise Quota Period (before 6.00am). There is also concern that, although aircraft are prevented from landing until 4.30am, they may approach over London before that time. Have you raised these issues with the Department for Transport, and did you respond to their Aviation 2050 consultation?

The Mayor: Yes, I responded to the Aviation 2050 consultation in June. My submission is available on the Transport for London website – https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/aviation
In it, I am clear that the Government needs to act to address the dire noise impacts of Heathrow and introduce a more robust night flights regime.

Night flights at Heathrow (4)

Fiona Twycross: Do you agree with the London Assembly Environment and Transport Committees that there should be no night flights over London, and limits on early morning flights should be retained, and preferably strengthened, for example by extending the time of no or very limited flights to 7.00am?

The Mayor: I continue to raise serious concerns about the impact of Heathrow’s night flights on the health and well-being of Londoners. In my submissions on Heathrow expansion, I have made it clear that it is wholly unacceptable that Heathrow is proposing a significant increase in night flights – potentially a 140 per cent increase compared to today. I will continue to challenge Heathrow Airport to take meaningful steps to dramatically reduce night flights over London.

Night flights at Heathrow (3)

Fiona Twycross: Given the previous Mayor’s well documented opposition to Heathrow expansion, have you called on him to drop the harmful expansion proposals?

The Mayor: My predecessor has to decide whether he will keep to his word and follow through on his previous statements categorically opposing a third runway at Heathrow.
I remain absolutely committed to opposing Heathrow expansion, which would be an environmental disaster with negative impacts on noise, air pollution and London’s long-term carbon targets. I continue to challenge expansion through the courts, with a decision expected on my appeal by the end of the year. I have written to the Government raising my concerns, responded to the Airport’s Expansion Consultation, and will continue to oppose a third runway at Heathrow, including by lobbying the new Government on this matter.

Piccadilly Line Investment

Florence Eshalomi: What reasons, if any, has the Government given for not providing funding for the re-signalling of the Piccadilly Line in the recent spending review?

The Mayor: I am expecting there to be a multi-year Comprehensive Spending Review in 2020, which will supersede the recent one-year roll-over Spending Round.
I look forward to working with the new government to ensure that any Spending Review provides the certainty of adequate long-term funding to deliver the transport improvements that London needs to keep growing and thriving, including the ongoing programme of vital upgrades to our existing Tube lines.

Memorial for victims of the Great Smog

Caroline Russell: According to research from the Met Office (https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/case-studies/great-smog) 12,000 Londoners lost their lives in the Great Smog of 1952. Will you consider a memorial for these lives lost?

The Mayor: The Great Smog and the tragic deaths of 12,000 Londoners was a turning point in our city’s efforts to tackle the scourge of air pollution. It resulted in the passage of the first Clean Air Act, whose ambition is a model for the new Parliament when they consider new clean air legislation.
It is only fitting that this important part of London’s history is properly memorialised. I am considering the best way to do this ahead of the 70thanniversary of the Great Smog in 2022 and will provide further information in due course.

Water Fountains Advertising

Susan Hall: How much money has been spent on the advertising campaign for your water fountain scheme to date and how much is budgeted for future advertising?

The Mayor: To help Londoners ditch single-use plastic bottles and reduce plastic waste, I have entered into a partnership with Thames Water to install a network of over 100 drinking water fountains across London.
All marketing and advertising is being paid for by Thames Water.

Water Fountains

Susan Hall: At the time of writing, your online map shows there are 16 London boroughs (Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond Upon Thames, Sutton and Waltham Forest) which do not have a water fountain. With only half of all London Boroughs currently containing one of your water fountains, what are you doing to make sure this scheme benefits all Londoners?

The Mayor: It is my ambition to ensure all Londoners benefit from the London drinking fountains scheme and have access to free drinking water when on the go, helping to reduce single-use plastic bottle waste across the city. In November last year I invited applications to host a fountain from all Londoners, including London boroughs, other public landowners, private landowners, and leaseholders/managing agents. We received almost 250 applications which covered all boroughs and the City of London. Of these 184 valid applications were received for sites supplied by Thames Water within 27 London Boroughs.
Of the 16 London boroughs you have detailed in your question as not currently shown on the online map, 10 of these are supplied by Thames Water. We are working with these 10 boroughs to obtain planning permission for applications received, as we are with all boroughs in the Thames Water supply area. In parallel Thames Water are undertaking technical assessments to determine the feasibility of these locations for connection and installation.
For the remaining six boroughs (Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Sutton) that are not in the Thames Water supply area, my Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy contacted the other water supply companies asking if they will be willing to work with me to provide public water fountains. Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/17493.

Solar generation in new housing developments

Caroline Russell: How many of the housing schemes planned for land released from the Transport for London (TfL) estate, will include solar generation?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL’s) property development projects are designed to make best use of available roof space. There are two primary uses for this space: firstly, the creation of green amenity spaces – for example rooftop terraces – and, secondly, the installation of low-carbon energy systems.
TfL has committed to maximising the installation of solar panels on any available roof space for all its future development schemes, where it is feasible to do so. More information on the total number of sites with solar panels will be available as TfL completes its feasibility work and progresses planning applications.

London Underground Advertising Space (1)

Andrew Boff: How much advertising space is available on the London Underground Network and how much is currently being used?

The Mayor: The London Underground estate consists of 132,060 advertising sites. This figure includes the in tube/train car panels of which there are 94,730 and 37,148 advertising sites within stations, as well as all of Transport for London’s (TfL) other traditional and digital advertising sites.
All advertising space on the TfL network is actively sold by TfL’s advertising agents. The level of utilisation changes on a daily basis so it is not possible to answer your question on the amount currently being used. The level of demand for TfL’s advertising sites at any one time is influenced by many external factors – for example the time of year and wider economic factors.

Phase 1 Grenfell Fire Report (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: The Phase 1 Report into the Grenfell fire tragedy highlights the critical lack of co-ordination between emergency services on the night. We know that there are protocols for co-ordination in such circumstances. What work is being undertaken to ensure that such protocols and training are effective in major incidents going forward?

The Mayor: London’s emergency services have major incident protocols developed through the London Emergency Services Liaison Panel and supported by London Resilience’s Strategic Coordination Protocol. On the vast majority of occasions, these protocols have proved extremely effective, but the Inquiry identified that these protocols did not perform as expected in some areas during the Grenfell Tower fire. The London Fire Brigade will work with London’s emergency services and the London Resilience Partnership to examine the Chair’s findings and implement any necessary improvements.

Screening out crime

Caroline Pidgeon: How many crimes were screened out without further investigation within 24 hours of being reported in 2018, broken down per month and per crime type?

The Mayor: This data has been provided by the MPS and can be found in a Freedom of Information response here:https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/foi-media/metropolitan-police/disclosure_2019/may_2019/information-rights-unit---crimes-that-were-marked-no-further-investigation-in-2017-and-2018

Strategy Consultation (3)

Susan Hall: Can you list the charitable and third sector groups you consulted when producing your Rough Sleeping Action Plan?

The Mayor: A wide range of charitable and third sector groups were consulted in the development of my Rough Sleeping Plan of Action, including:

Acceptance of advertisements

Caroline Pidgeon: Transport for London is currently accepting advertisements from private hire companies such as Katpen that it licenses to operate. What consideration has been given to this potential conflict of interest?

The Mayor: Taxi and Private Hire Licensing and Advertising Sales are managed by completely separate teams. The Licensing team has no knowledge of advertising campaigns planned or their value. They work to strict policy standards which would not be influenced by companies’ advertising plans so there is no conflict of interest in these activities for Transport for London (TfL).

LFB staff counselling

Andrew Dismore: How many times has the London Fire Brigade’s Grenfell support service for staff mental health been used?

The Mayor: From 14 June 2017 – 5 November 2019, London Fire Brigade’s Counselling and Trauma Service has been accessed 1,119 times, with 206 of these referrals specifically for issues relating to the Grenfell Tower fire.

Breathe London (1)

Leonie Cooper: What are the next steps for the Breathe London programme, with the extended funding announced in October?

The Mayor: As part of my commitment to explore new technologies in London, I have piloted the “Breathe London” low cost sensor network.
Breathe London is an air quality monitoring system which is being used to analyse pollution in thousands of hotspots across the city including near schools, hospitals, construction sites and busy roads. Over 100 sensors have been fitted to lampposts and buildings, dedicated Google Street View cars have taken measurements across the city and personal wearable monitors have measured the exposure of children as they travel to school. The data from the network is available at https://www.breathelondon.org/.
Last month Clean Air Fund announced an extension of the Breathe London project to July 2020. This will allow the fixed monitoring network of over 100 sensors to continue measuring NO2 and PM2.5. The sensors will be used to continue providing high quality, hyper local air quality monitoring data to Londoners.

Breathe London (2)

Leonie Cooper: The Breathe London data showed that children are five times more exposed to pollution on the school run. Can you reassure Londoners that it is still better for their children’s health to commute to school via active travel instead of driving, given the benefits of physical exercise and the exposure to pollution when travelling in vehicles?

The Mayor: The final report for the Breathe London wearables study was published last month. The report shows that the lowest concentrations were recorded by children walking along quieter back roads. This is also the finding of the data collected by the Breathe London Google Cars.
Importantly, the report highlights that parents driving their children to school contribute to the levels of pollution on the surrounding roads. It is also important to remember there are many co-benefits to active transport, in addition to lower exposure to air pollution, such as physical and mental benefits and lower environmental impact. In 2011 academic study published in the British Medical Journal found that in Barcelona for most of the population the health benefits of physical activity from cycling outweighed the risks from inhalation of air pollutants and road traffic incidents 77 to 1.

Clean Air Routes to Schools (1)

Leonie Cooper: Can you confirm how many schools that are in areas of high pollution have Active Travel Strategies?

The Mayor: Officers are drafting a response. Please be advised that there may be some delay as the information required in order to answer your question fully was not possible to be collated within the statutory deadline.

Clean Air Routes to Schools (2)

Leonie Cooper: How many of those School Active Travel Strategies include advice on Clean Air Routes to School?

The Mayor: Officers are drafting a response. Please be advised that there may be some delay as the information required in order to answer your question fully was not possible to be collated within the statutory deadline.

Climate Friendly Communities

Leonie Cooper: Friends of the Earth recently published their Climate Friendly Communities tool, showing wide variation between London Boroughs. Did the variations surprise you?

The Mayor: The Friends of the Earth tool considers performance across a variety of areas, from energy efficiency, to tree cover and recycling. Given this, a degree of variation in performance between different areas of London would be expected, as each has its own unique geographic characteristics, together with different economic activity and composition of building stock for example.
Many London boroughs have been working with us to cut carbon and address environmental challenges, for example through using our programmes to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings and develop heat networks. However, whilst 25 boroughs have now declared a Climate Emergency, austerity cuts have often reduced their capacity to tackle this important issue.
As the analysis showed, even the best areas need to do much more. I will continue to work with boroughs and push the Government to ensure that London’s boroughs have sufficient resources and funding to address the climate emergency and deliver at a faster pace.

False Statement about the outcome of First Group Fatigue Audit IA 17780 made by TfL’s MD for Surface Transport to 26 June 2017 SSHR Panel

Caroline Pidgeon: The 26 June 2017 minutes of the SSHR (Safety Sustainability and HR) panel record the former Managing Director for Surface Transport making an inaccurate statement about the outcome of the First Group Fatigue Audit. Was there any investigation or action taken following this statement?

The Mayor: My Deputy Mayor for Transport has reviewed the minutes to which you refer and whilst you have not specified any particular comments that the former Managing Director for Surface Transport made, we assume you are referring to the comment (unattributed in the minutes) that reads as follows “An audit of FirstGroup’s fatigue management processes had taken place, these were found to be satisfactory and did not give rise to any concerns.”
Clearly the minutes also included a post meeting note as follows: “The audit had been concluded as Requires Improvement with a number of improvements that could be made by implementing ORR Good Practice.”
I am not aware of any investigation into the former comment or what would have led any individual to say that at that point in time. As the former Managing Director for Surface Transport, Leon Daniels, is no longer in TfL’s employment, any questions about what he said at the meeting on 26 June 2017 would have to be raised directly with him.
As my Deputy Mayor for Transport said to the Assembly Transport Committee in September, it is our view that both the initial draft of the audit report and the final report make it quite clear that there was room for improvement in First Group TOL’s management of fatigue.

Welfare Advice in Schools (1)

Jennette Arnold: How many people have accessed the school welfare support pilot announced in July 2019?

The Mayor: Our pilot project to tackle child poverty through schools is testing a range of innovative approaches to providing support to low-income families, including embedding welfare rights advisors in the schools taking part.
In the first five weeks of delivery 30 parents - with a total of 75 children between them - accessed the service across six of the eleven schools taking part. Due to the complexity of the cases and the time it takes to resolve issues, the majority of these parents needed support across multiple advice sessions.
The pilot is due to run until the end of December, and a full evaluation will be published in the new year with a clear indication of what techniques could be rolled out at a larger scale.

Limmo Peninsula

Navin Shah: Does TfL still plan for 40% on homes on the site to be affordable?

The Mayor: Limmo Peninsula is one of seven sites that Connected Living London, the partnership between Transport for London and Grainger plc., is planning to redevelop. Connected Living London plans to deliver more than 3,000 quality homes for rent across these seven sites with each site being 40 per cent affordable.
At Limmo Peninsula, Connected Living London plans to deliver up to 1,500 homes alongside new open greenspace, improved walking and cycling connectivity, retail and commercial space and community facilities.

Pontoon Dock (1)

Navin Shah: Please update on the current state of development of the Pontoon Dock site in Newham, planning reference16/00224/FUL. Please breakdown by all the different use classes.

The Mayor: The development is on site and due for practical completion in December 2019. The site has 236 residential units and 769sqm of floorspace with flexible designation across use classes (A1-3, B1, D1-2).

Albert Island

Navin Shah: 50% of the new homes on the site are to be genuinely affordable. Please provide a breakdown on the number of homes and their bed size and tenure type.

The Mayor: A planning application is yet to been submitted for this site, so the information requested is not available.

Western Gateway (1)

Navin Shah: Please update on the current state of development of the Western Gateway site. Please breakdown by all the different use classes.

The Mayor: Phase one of the Western Gateway site is largely complete with first occupations due soon. Phases2 and 3 received planning permission recently. Phase one delivered 105 residential units, and 172sqm of mixed-use work space; A1-A4 and B1. Phase two will deliver a further 796 residential units.

Western Gateway (2)

Navin Shah: 35% of the new homes on the site are to be affordable. Please provide a breakdown on the number of homes and their bed size and tenure type.

The Mayor: Please see the breakdown below:
Dwelling Mix
Studio
9.8%
1bed
43.3%
2bed
26.9%
3bed
20%
Affordable Housing
Overall
27.1% (by unit)
35% (by hab room)
Social Rent
75 units
Affordable Rent
51 units
Shared Ownership
93 units

Royal Albert Dock (2)

Navin Shah: Despite plans for 845 homes on the site, none will be affordable. Instead Newham Council will be in line for a payment, of up to £60 million,approximately equivalent to up to 35% affordable housing off-site, or the on-site equivalent. What requirement, if any, is there for this payment to be spent on delivering affordable housing elsewhere?

The Mayor: The contribution by ABP to LB Newham will be ring-fenced for affordable housing in LB Newham. This is governed by the requirements of the planning consent.

Seaside and Country Homes

Caroline Pidgeon: What proportion of applications for a new property that were made through the Seaside and Country Homes scheme were successful in each year since 2016?

The Mayor: Please note that applicants who are let a property will not necessarily have applied to the scheme in the same year in which the letting was made.
Number of new SCH applications
Number of SCH lettings
Lettings as a % of applications
2016/17
579
110
19%
2017/18
591
105
18%
2018/19
687
142
21%

Phase 1 Grenfell Fire Report (4)

Caroline Pidgeon: The Grenfell Fire Phase 1 Report describes the difficulty many had in ascertaining the whereabouts of relatives, friends and loved ones who had been taken to hospital on the night of the Grenfell tragedy. How will you be supporting the Met and the other emergency services in co-operating on this important issue to ensure those with loved ones in hospital are able to be told of their whereabouts quickly and accurately, to avoid additional distress in such an event?

The Mayor: The Inquiry’s Phase 1 report describes the rapid escalation of the incident involving large numbers of residents evacuating the building, with many injured or suffering acute distress. I commend the efforts of the emergency services and London’s hospitals in ensuring that those affected received appropriate medical attention and care as soon as was possible.
However, the report also found that many of those affected were unable to locate relatives, friends and loved ones and I recognise the distress this must have caused in what were already the most difficult of circumstances. The London Resilience Forum has already undertaken a multi-agency debrief into the incident and I will ensure that the actions from this debrief, including this issue, are addressed.

Epsom and St Helier hospital reconfigurations

Onkar Sahota: What discussions have you had with NHS leaders at Epsom and St Helier about their plans to reconfigure services in the area?

The Mayor: The NHS has kept in contact with GLA officers regarding their plans for Epsom, St Helier and Sutton Hospitals. I am aware that a public consultation will be undertaken to inform future plans and it is at this stage that I will apply my six tests.

Tree cover

Leonie Cooper: If you meet your target to increase London’s tree cover by 10%, how much carbon and air pollution mitigation will this provide?

The Mayor: Valuing London’s Urban Forest – the report of the London i-Tree Eco Project published in 2015 – indicated that London’s existing trees and woodlands remove approximately 2,240 tonnes of pollutants (including particulates and nitrogen dioxide) from London’s air each year. An increase in canopy cover of 10 per centwould result in an additional 224 tonnes of pollutant removed.
The report also indicates that the existing urban forest sequesters approximately 77,200 tonnes of carbon. An additional 7,720 tonnes of carbon would be captured by a 10 per centincrease in canopy cover.
These figures are approximate as the amount of pollutants removed and carbon captured varies between different species and is also dependent on the tree size, structure and rate of growth.

Tree Week

Leonie Cooper: What has been the take-up of the tree giveaways to mark National Tree Week?

The Mayor: Through my #PlantATree campaign, I have offered 55,000 trees to Londoners and community groups to mark National Tree Week, which runs from 23 November to 1 December.
My ballot for Londoners to receive 30,000 trees to plant at home, organised with the Woodland Trust, closed on 11 November. Almost 18,000 Londoners entered the ballot, and 15,000 will be chosen at random to receive a pack of two trees. 25,000 further trees were made available for community groups. These trees have all been allocated to over 200 organisations, and orders are now closed.
During National Tree Week, 5,000 additional trees will be available for Londoners to collect from selected sites, and communities will be holding volunteer tree planting events across the capital, taking the total trees being given to Londoners to 60,000. Details of sites and events can be found at: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/parks-green-spaces-and-biodiversity/plant-tree/tree-planting-week-events

Reducing financial stress related ill-health

Onkar Sahota: Financial stress is associated with poor health. What plans do you have to continue and expand the welfare advice service that has been run in schools to support people suffering from this?

The Mayor: Improving the health of participants is one of the target outcomes for our pilot project to tackle child poverty through schools. At the outset, 50 per centof parents who agreed to take part in the evaluation reported suffering from depression or anxiety and 44 per centrated their health as poor. We hope to see these proportions drop as the welfare advice service generates financial gains - which are likely to be significant based on the early findings.
My officers are currently working closely with the pilot delivery partner, evaluator and a range of internal and external stakeholders to develop a long-term delivery model. This includes engaging with colleagues and partners working on social prescribing.

Sarah Hope Line

Caroline Russell: In September 2019 I visited the Sarah Hope Line with other members of the Transport Committee to see their work to support people affected by serious incidents involving Transport for London (TfL) services. Caseload figures shared with the Committee show that most of the support they give is for users of public transport services. Will you promote the Sarah Hope line to people involved in serious collisions while walking and cycling on London’s roads?

The Mayor: The Sarah Hope Line is one of a number of avenues that offer support to those who have experienced serious trauma on London’s transport network. The line’s dedicated team provides emotional support and works in partnership with other expert organisations to ensure that those involved in life changing incidents – anywhere on London’s transport network - have access to the support they need. However, there is always more that can be done to improve the quality of support, so I have asked Transport for London to investigate ways of raising awareness of the support that is already available.

Express freight drug orders

Onkar Sahota: Will TfL have any role in the Government’s express freight service for medical products in the event of a no-deal Brexit?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has not been asked to contribute to the service that was being developed by the previous Government to deliver urgent medicines and medical products into the UK as part of its Brexit preparations.
Within the constraints of limited information, TfL has been working to develop and continually update contingency plans in the event of a no-deal Brexit – and any Brexit scenario. A no deal would have a significant effect on London and TfL stands ready to offer its expertise in the development of the service should it be asked to do so.

School air quality audits (1)

Leonie Cooper: Will more schools have the opportunity to receive an air quality audit by specialists?

The Mayor: In 2016, over 450 state schools were in areas which exceeded legal pollution limits. In 2017, I took action at primary schools located in areas with some of the worst air pollution. I provided funding for 50 school air quality audits, as well as a £10,000 starter grant for each of the participating schools to implement measures from the audit recommendations.
Having developed the audit concept, I now want the London boroughs to roll this out so that every school in an area of high pollution can benefit from this approach. Funding is available through the Local Implementation Plan fund to support this.
The generic school air quality audit toolkit produced as part of the programme can be used by other schools as a basis for their own audits. I am pleased that the London Boroughs of Islington, Southwark, Ealing, Westminster and Brent have now all agreed to fund air quality audits at their state primary schools.

WHO air pollution targets

Leonie Cooper: Given the strong evidence contained in your recent report on how London could meet WHO air pollution targets with Government action, is Government showing any signs of providing the additional funding and powers needed, including access to the Clean Air Fund?

The Mayor: No, the Government has shown no signs of meeting my ambition on air quality or addressing the injustice that prevents London from accessing national funding on the same basis as other local authorities
There is an enormous amount ofcross-party consensus for adopting tough legal limits for air quality. It is therefore totally unacceptable that this Bill, as laid before Parliament, does not include the WHO-recommended guidelines as legally binding air quality limits to be met by 2030, enforced by a robust, independent statutory body with the ability to levy fines.
While the Environment Bill made gestures in some of the right areas the reality is that targets do not have to be set until 2022, might not need to be met until 2037 or later and can be relaxed or removed if they are hard to achieve or would cost too much money. Without legally binding targets that can’t be rolled back in future, or a watchdog that can hold future Governments to account, these empty gestures simply do not ring true.
The general election means that the Environment Bill in its current form will not progress and I would strongly urge the next Government, whatever its make-up, to take the opportunity to think again and introduce the effective, robust legislation we need.

Wandsworth Reduction and Recycling Plan

Leonie Cooper: Thank you for your answer to question 2019/17619 on Borough waste management. How much has it cost London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) to provide the additional support required by Wandsworth to get them to the same point as other Boroughs who haven’t required additional work?

The Mayor: The London Waste and Recycling Board’s Resource London partnership provides advice and benchmarking support for boroughs in the development of their Reduction and Recycling Plans.
To date, as part of the RRP process, Wandsworth has only benefited from and utilised the same level of support as other boroughs, having both benchmarking and development advice. The support offered being Resource London Officer time.

Hospital Air Quality audits

Leonie Cooper: 10,000 people work at and attend St George’s Hospital in Tooting. Local air quality is a concern. Can St George’s not have an air quality audit carried out?

The Mayor: My school air quality audit programme created a toolkit which provides hospitals with the information required to undertake an air quality audit of their site. They can ask the local borough for guidance implementing the toolkit if required. The toolkit is available here: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/pollution-and-air-quality/mayors-school-air-quality-audit-programme. In addition, earlier this year Global Action Plan and Great Ormond Street Hospital launched the Clean Air Hospital Framework. The Framework helps hospitals set ambitious targets and develop measures to tackle air pollution in seven key areas: travel, procurement and supply chain, construction, energy, local air quality, communication and training; and hospital outreach and leadership. Signing up to the Framework is free and there are additional services hospitals can subscribe to from Global Action Plan to help them implement their plans.

School air quality audits (3)

Leonie Cooper: How much has air pollution fallen on average at the schools who were original recipients of air quality audits?

The Mayor: My school air quality audits programme was intended to reduce children’s exposure to air pollution by encouraging the use of sustainable modes of travel, encouraging children to use less polluted routes; reducing emissions in and around school; and through behaviour change interventions such as tackling engine idling.
These aim to reduce local sources of pollution or reduce exposure to them, leading to improved health and wellbeing and reduced health inequalities.
Some of the participating schools are monitoring air quality levels at the local level to assess the effectiveness of measures they have implemented such as the installation of green infrastructure. University College London are also undertaking an impact assessment to help us better understand the benefits from the audit programme which we will publish in due course.

School air quality audits (2)

Leonie Cooper: How can schools who use your materials to conduct their own audits apply for funding to implement changes? How much funding is available from City Hall and Boroughs?

The Mayor: In 2017, I took action at primary schools located in areas with some of the worst air pollution. I provided £830,000 to fund 50 school air quality audits including a £10,000 starter grant to each participating school to implement the audit recommended measures.
Having developed the audit concept, I now want the London boroughs to roll this out so that every school in an area of high pollution can benefit from this approach. I appreciate schools and boroughs are under enormous financial pressure, which is why funding is available through TfL’s Local Implementation Plan fund to support this.
My Mayor’s Air Quality Fund (a £22 million fund supporting London borough projects to improve air quality) and my Greener City Fund (a £12 million fund dedicated to green infrastructure) can act as funding sources for the implementation of some recommendations. Borough Section 106 agreements and Community Infrastructure Levy are also potential funding sources for school audit recommendations.

Recycling of household waste

Caroline Russell: Your environment strategy lists a target to achieve 50 per cent household waste recycling by 2030. What percentage is currently being achieved?

The Mayor: Proposal 7.2.1.a in my Environment Strategy sets a London-wide 50 per cent recycling target for local authority collected waste (LACW), and not household waste, by 2025. LACW includes household waste and business waste collected by local authorities. In order to achieve my 50 per cent London-wide LACW recycling target, local authorities are expected to improve both their household and business waste recycling performance.
London currently recycles 33 per cent of household waste and 30 per cent of LACW (Defra waste statistics 2017/18). Support for boroughs to improve their recycling rates is available through the London Waste and Recycling Board, however more action is also needed from Government to get the necessary step change needed. See also my response to Mayor's Question 2019/20114.

Air pollution hotspots

Caroline Russell: When will you update the GIS data provided with the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (LAEI) 2016 to include emissions projected forward to 2020, 2025, and 2030?

The Mayor: The London Atmospheric Emission Inventory (LAEI) 2016 (published this year) did not include forward projections for future years as these had recently been created for the London Environment Strategy and Ultra Low Emission Zone consultation material. The next iteration of the LAEI will include projections for future years and associated GIS data. Work will begin on the next LAEI next year.

Schools with air pollution exceeding legal limits

Caroline Russell: Further to the data released by your office in July 2016, can you provide: a) an updated list of schools in London where air pollution is exceeding legal limits, and b) confirmation of whether each of these schools has had an air quality audit?

The Mayor: An updated list of schools in areas exceeding legal limits was published in April this year and is available here: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/london-atmospheric-emissions-inventory--laei--2016. It showed that in 2016 (the latest available modelled year), over 450 state primary and secondary schools were located in areas that exceeded the legal limit for nitrogen dioxide. Modelling shows that with the Mayor’s policies this will reduce to zero in 2025.
The audits programme included 50 primary schools in some of the city's most polluted areas, the full list of schools and reports can be found here:https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/pollution-and-air-quality/mayors-school-air-quality-audit-programme . The programme also produced an audits toolkit which can be applied to any school. Having developed the audit concept, I now want the London boroughs to roll this out so that every school in an area of high pollution can benefit from this approach. Funding is available through the Local Implementation Plan fund to support this.
The London Boroughs of Islington, Southwark, Ealing, Westminster and Brent have now pledged to complete audits at all their state run primary schools.

Sex offences 1

Susan Hall: For each of the years Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18 and Nov 18 to Oct 19, please can you provide the number of times people have been reported for masturbating on the tube network broken down by tube line?

The Mayor: Line
Nov 16 to Oct 17
Nov 17 to Oct 18
Nov 18 to Sept 19*
Bakerloo line
4
10
4
Central line
23
20
18
Circle and Hammersmith & City line
10
6
4
District line
12
9
8
Jubilee line
10
14
15
Metropolitan line
6
9
12
Northern line
23
24
22
Piccadilly line
9
13
16
Victoria line
17
16
21
Total
114
121
120
*Please note that BTP can only provide data until 29/09/19 as this is the latest date they have figures for
Transport for London (TfL) continues its important work with policing partners to tackle sexual offences on the public transport networks. Through Project Guardian TfL is working to improve confidence in reporting, challenging unwelcome sexual behaviour and targeting offenders.

Trees and insurance companies

Caroline Russell: Constituents have contacted me with concerns that climate change is having an impact on the incidence of subsidence affecting London’s buildings. It appeared to them as if insurance companies are removing trees as a first, not last, resort when any cases of subsidence are found. Given the crucial role of trees in mitigating the impact of climate change, especially in cities, what are you doing to protect trees from the purported practices of insurance companies?

The Mayor: Your constituents raise an important issue in helping safeguard London’s trees. This is largely a matter for landowners and managers, including local authorities.
The London Tree Officers Association and the Forestry Commission have developed the Joint Mitigation Protocol (JMP), with the input of insurance companies, to help minimise the loss of existing trees.
The Joint Mitigation Protocol is an agreed method of claims management where trees are implicated as being the cause of subsidence. It establishes best practice in the processing and investigation of tree root building damage, benchmarking time scales for responses and standards of evidence. More information is here: www.ltoa.org.uk/resources/joint-mitigation-protocol.
I would urge insurance companies to sign up to the protocol.

Housing retrofit

Caroline Russell: The London Assembly Environment Committee report, Keeping out the chill: fixing London’s cold, damp and mouldy homes, in February 2019, recommended you should allocate funding to invest in the retrofitting of old housing stock as well as for new builds. What progress have you made on this recommendation?

The Mayor: On 31 January 2018, following development work, I launched my Warmer Homes fund, which helps fuel poor households in London by providing up to £4,000 worth of energy efficiency improvements to qualifying existing homes. It has successfully retrofitted 1,159 existing London homes with measures to address damp and mould. The next phase of the scheme is currently being procured.
My new Retrofit Accelerator programme for homes opened earlier this month and will provide technical assistance to social housing providers to improve their existing housing stock through deep energy efficiency retrofit.

Household waste recycling target

Caroline Russell: Are you on track to meet your household waste recycling target of 50 per cent by 2030?

The Mayor: I have set a London-wide 50 per cent recycling target for London’s local authority collective waste (LACW) by 2025. Modelling used to inform my London Environment Strategy (LES) showed that London could achieve a maximum of 42 per cent household waste recycling by 2022 and that additional investment of at least £100m is needed to reach this level. The remaining eight per cent increase to reach 50 per cent recycling will need to come from stronger national policy and improvements in commercial waste recycling services offered by local authorities.
I believe that London is on track to reach this level if my LES is effectively implemented and if the Government takes early action to deliver its Resources and Waste Strategy (RWS) and fill London’s funding shortfall. My officers are working with Defra on its RWS consultation to ensure that London gets its fair share of funding and support.
Please also see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/20113.

Firefighter travel to work

Andrew Dismore: What assessment has LFB made of the modes of travel to work used by firefighters posted to stations inside the existing and future ULEZ?

The Mayor: Prior to the implementation of the ULEZ in April 2019, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) undertook a comprehensive survey of watch-based staff based in the current ULEZ area to ascertain their usual mode of transport to work, and if this was by car, whether or not the vehicle was ULEZ-compliant. This survey informed the transitional protection arrangements agreed by the London Fire Commissioner and City Hall which will expire on 7 April 2020. No survey is planned prior to the expansion of the ULEZ area in October 2021. Instead the emphasis is on communications to the workforce that there will be no reimbursement of the ULEZ charge after April 2020, and that staff need to use the time before October 2021 to ensure they have a ULEZ-compliant vehicle if they wish to drive in the expanded zone and not incur the charge.

Scrappage fund [2]

Andrew Dismore: Will you consider extending the ULEZ scrappage fund to emergency service workers such as those in LFB, who use their cars to get to work, often at anti-social hours?

The Mayor: The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) car and motorcycle scrappage scheme is targeted at low income and disabled individuals in Greater London who rely on a non-ULEZ compliant vehicle to travel into the central London ULEZ or within the expanded ULEZ (from October 2021). Anyone who meets the eligibility criteria is free to apply to the scheme. There are no plans to extend the scheme at the current time, but I continue to call on central Government to do more to support people to scrap their polluting vehicles with a national vehicle scrappage fund.

Apprenticeships in LFB

Andrew Dismore: What is LFB’s total apprenticeship levy and how much of it was unused in each year since the introduction of the policy?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) annual levy bill is c.£1.15m, which is paid on a monthly basis to HMRC. LFB has 24 months to spend monthly funds before they expire, but will not lose any levy funds as the firefighter apprenticeship was implemented in such a way as to avoid any levy loss. Accrued funds reduce as firefighter apprentices increase, and if there were to be a dramatic reduction in recruiting firefighters in the future this may cause levy loss within the current funding rules.
LFB has £1.7m of accrued levy funds as no fire sector standards existed when the levy was introduced in April 2017. Accrued funds decrease as the number of apprentices increase each month, and will decrease more quickly from April 2020 as completion payments will be made to Babcock as firefighters will begin to complete the apprenticeship.
The financial position for the levy is set out in the table below.
Year
Levy (including 10% top-up)
Levy spent
2017/18
1,081,994
0
2018/19
1,218,245
87,733
2019/20 (to date)
725,645
1,166,224
Totals
3,025,884
1,253,997
Levy a/c balance as at 14/11/2019
1,771,887

Babcock training contract (2)

Andrew Dismore: What are the KPIs that Babcock’s performance is measured against in its contract with LFB; how often have they fallen below these standards; and how often and how much have sanctions been imposed for failing to meet KPIs?

The Mayor: The contract with Babcock contains 17 KPIs. These are:
Financial penalties can also be incurred via Non Provision Deductions (NPDs), which relate to issues with individual training classes (e.g. late-notice cancellations, excessive travel times). There is a threshold of 500 KPI points per month, below which no financial penalties are levied. There is no threshold for NPDs.
The financial penalties incurred during the period of the contract are set out in the table below.
Financial year
Financial penalty incurred
2012/13
£262k
2013/14
£250k
2014/15
£213k
2015/16
£105k
2016/17
£59k
2017/18
£55k

Babcock training contract (3)

Andrew Dismore: How is firefighters’ satisfaction with the courses provided by Babcock measured by LFB; and what are the current results of such assessments?

The Mayor: Following attendance at Babcock training courses, delegates are contacted by email and asked to fill in a Level 1 evaluation form which contains questions about the venue, course content, training delivery and trainers. Response rates currently average 30-35 per cent.London Fire Brigade and Babcock review feedback and areas for improvements are escalated to the appropriate training project boards for action.
To date, the response rates against each category are as follows:
Excellent
Good
Satisfactory
Poor
Very Poor
No response
Venue
33%
35%
22%
3%
5%
2%
Course content
37%
39%
19%
2%
1%
2%
Training delivery
51%
34%
11%
1%
0%
3%
Trainers
62%
29%
5%
1%
0%
3%

Contaminated kit

Andrew Dismore: Does LFB policy explicitly differentiate between the treatment of “dirty” and “contaminated” kit and if so, when was this distinction effective from; and if not, why not?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade policy and practice does differentiate in the way it deals with ‘contaminated’ and ‘dirty’ structural firefighting clothing. Contaminated clothing, which is clothing contaminated with hazardous materials, is placed in two plastic bags, one of which is water soluble, prior to being sent for laundry. The soluble bag enables the clothing to be placed into the washing system without the need to be directly handled by laundry staff. Dirty kit, which is dirty due to fire debris, is processed via the normal laundry process and does not require placement into plastic bags. This process has been in place for at least the past two editions of firefighting clothing.

Great Eastern Quays (2)

Navin Shah: 40% of the new homes on the site are to be affordable. Please provide a breakdown on the number of homes and their bed size and tenure type.

The Mayor: Number of homes by tenure type below:
Scheme
Affordable Rent
Market Rent
Shared Ownership
Private Sale
TOTAL
GEQ Phase 1
82
73
72
123
350
GEQ Phase 2
31
-
102
335
46
Number of homes by bed size:
Phase 1
1B2P
2B3P
2B4P
3B5P
4B6P
TOTAL
Affordable Rent
10
16
20
23
13
82
Shared Ownership
9
1
40
22
72
Market Rent
28
8
20
17
73
Private Sale
29
12
72
10
123
350
Phase 2
1B2P
2B3P
2B4P
3B5P
3B6P
4B6P
TOTAL
Affordable Rent
5
0
2
17
0
7
31
Shared Ownership
38
0
36
0
28
0
102
Market Rent
87
0
81
0
14
8
190
Private Sale
56
0
37
0
52
0
145
468

Great Eastern Quays (1)

Navin Shah: Please update on the current state of development of the Great Eastern Quayssite in Newham, planning reference12/01881/OUT. Please breakdown by all the different use classes, especially Community Use.

The Mayor: The planning application was consented in 2013. The site is being delivered by Notting Hill Genesis and their contractors Galliford Try. Phase one is complete and phase two started on site in July 2017 and is nearing practical completion. The ground floor commercial space in the Phase 1 scheme has been tenanted to affordable workspace provider Bow Arts Trust who have delivered a community café and a community run restaurant within two of the commercial units.
See table below for accommodation schedule for residential.
Scheme
Affordable Rent
Market Rent
Shared Ownership
Private Sale
TOTAL
GEQ Phase 1
82
73
72
123
350
GEQ Phase 2
31
-
102
335
46
See table below for accommodation schedule of non-residential uses, which includes the café and community run restaurant.
Class Use
Sqm
A1-A4
1,353
B1
3,617
D1
703
D2
417
TOTAL
6,090

Percentage of affordable homes on public land (1)

Onkar Sahota: What steps are the London Estates Delivery Unit and other relevant GLA bodies taking to record and monitor the percentage of affordable homes on ex-public land in London?

The Mayor: The Housing and Land Programme Team monitors the GLA Group housing delivery and this is reported to the Homes for Londoners board quarterly; this report includes the percentage of affordable housing.
The GLA also engages with the MHCLG Public Land Group which is the lead group for departments with targets for disposal of land for housing.This group has oversight of disposals by Government departments for development.

Percentage of affordable homes on public land (2)

Onkar Sahota: What correspondence has the GLA had with the Government regarding the percentages of affordable homes on developments on ex-public land?

The Mayor: Through the Public Land Team the GLA is engaging with government on the disposal of public sector land and the ambition to deliver 50 per centaffordable housing; on a number of sites where the GLA has been involved the percentage of affordable housing has been secured at 50 per cent. As part of wider oversight, the Housing and Land team work closely with Government colleagues at One Public Estate on all matters regarding development and affordable housing on ex-public land.

Silvertown Way (2)

Navin Shah: 30% of the new homes on the site are to be affordable. Please provide a breakdown on the number of homes and their bed size and tenure type.

The Mayor: Please see the breakdown below:

Silvertown Way (1)

Navin Shah: Please update on the current state of development of the Silvertown Way site in Newham, planning reference16/03428/FUL. Please breakdown by all the different use classes.

The Mayor: The development has started on site and is making good progress. The topping out ceremony was held recently. The scheme includes 975 homes in total (339 homes for market sale; 293 homes for private rent; 172 for affordable rent; and 171 homes for shared ownership). In addition, there is a 6,000sqm hotel and 3,000sqm of leisure, retail, commercial and community space.

Gallions Quarter (2)

Navin Shah: 40% of the new homes on the site are to be affordable. Please provide a breakdown on the number of homes and their bed size and tenure type.

The Mayor: The Outline masterplan is divided into three phases. Phase 1 (Armada 1 South) is nearing practical completion, phase 2A has started on site, Phase 2B has recently been submitted to planning. Accommodation schedule as follows:
Scheme
Affordable Rent
London Living Rent
Shared Ownership
Private Sale
TOTAL
Commercial (sqm)
Armada 1 South
42
50
73
127
292
852
Gallions 2A
47
-
49
145
241
1,569
Gallions 2B
70
-
65
132
267
N/A
*Information on bed size is not currently available

Gallions Quarter (1)

Navin Shah: Please update on the current state of development of the Gallions Quarter site in Newham, planning reference14/00664/OUT. Please breakdown by all the different use classes.

The Mayor: The site is being delivered by Notting Hill Genesis with their contractors and joint venture partners Telford Homes and Galliford Try. Phase 1 (Armada 1 South) is nearing practical completion and will be complete by March 2020. Phase 2A has started enabling works and is due to fully start on site in January 2020. The Reserved Matters Application was submitted to Newham for Phase 2B in September 2019. The accommodation schedule for residential is as follows:
Unit Type
Armada 1 South
Gallions 2A
Gallions 2B
Affordable Rent / Social Rent
1b2p
10
5
14
2b3p
5
5
1
2b4p
13
12
15
3b5p
14
19
40
3b6p
0
6
0
4b6p
Sub total
42
47
70
London Living Rent
1b2p
1
2b3p
16
2b4p
27
3b4p
0
3b5p
6
Sub total
50
Shared Ownership
1b2p
35
26
27
2b3p
21
6
0
2b4p
2
12
31
3b4p
0
2
0
3b5p
13
3
7
3b6p
2
0
0
Sub total
73
49
65
Private Sale
1b2p
65
57
21
2b3p
10
30
1
2b4p
36
16
50
3b4p
0
4
0
3b5p
16
38
60
4b6p
0
0
0
Sub total
127
145
132
Total
292
241
267
There will be up to 2,641sqm (GIA) flexible non-residential floorspace (Class Use A1-A4, B1 & D1) on Armada 1 South & Gallions 2A
There is no commercial on Phase 2B

Thameside West (2)

Navin Shah: 37% of the new homes on the site are to be affordable. Please provide a breakdown on the number of homes and their bed size and tenure type.

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question2019/20608.

Thameside West (1)

Navin Shah: Please update on the current state of development of the Thameside West site in Newham, planning reference18/03557/OUT. Please breakdown by all the different use classes.

The Mayor: The hybrid planning application was rejected on 12 December 2019 by LB Newham. This has now been referred to the Mayor for consideration. Thehybrid masterplan application proposes to deliver:

Tube Noise in Seven Sisters

Joanne McCartney: Can you update me on how many tube noise complaints have been made in each of the last six months for the Seven Sisters area?

The Mayor: There have been three Tube noise complaints in this area in the past six months – two in August 2019, and one in September 2019.
Transport for London is investigating the track condition in this area, and will also carry out local noise measurements by the end of November 2019.

Children in Temporary Accommodation

Joanne McCartney: Enfield & Haringey have very high numbers of children in temporary accommodation. What are you doing to resolve this situation?

The Mayor: Resolving this tragic situation – which is common across many boroughs - requires three key changes. First, London needs far more social rented homes. I am using my planning powers and my Affordable Homes Programme to deliver record numbers. But a step-change in investment is required to deliver what is needed, and I continue to lobby Government for additional resources and powers. Second, the private rented sector needs to be more secure and affordable. My blueprint for the sector sets out the wholesale reform needed and I am urging Government to deliver this, rather than the tinkering it has proposed. Third, welfare benefits intended to cover housing costs must be brought back into line with at least the cheapest third of market rents. Again, this is down to the Government, and I continue to lobby them on this point.

HS2 and Old Oak Common

Andrew Dismore: Have you had any recent discussions with the Department for Transport regarding the future of HS2, and have they given you any indications regarding the possibility of locating the terminus at Old Oak Common, at least on a temporary basis?

The Mayor: In October I wrote to Doug Oakervee, chair of the HS2 Review, setting out my views on the future of HS2. This follows a meeting that Doug held with Jules Pipe, Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills and Mike Brown, Transport for London’s (TfL) Commissioner on 23 September 2019. A copy of my letter is attached as part of my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/20543. It highlights the key issues for London, including the fact that stations are required at both Old Oak and Euston to maximise passenger benefits, ensure effective capacity relief and to support growth in jobs and homes in these areas.
The possibility of temporarily terminating services at Old Oak Common was referenced in the HS2 Chairman’s Stocktake in August 2019. TfL is working with HS2 to test scenarios to understand whether it could be possible to terminate a small number of services (e.g. three trains per hour) temporarily at Old Oak Common without unduly impacting the Elizabeth Line service.

Silvertown Quays (2)

Navin Shah: Affordable housing is set at a minimum level of 20%, but there is a review mechanism which could see it rise to 35% if certain value thresholds are met. Can you outline what those value thresholds are; how close to reaching them the developer is; and consequently, what is the current level of affordable housing that is required on the site? Please provide a breakdown on the number of homes and their bed size and tenure type.

The Mayor: The Outline Planning Permission for this development requires 35 per centaffordable housing overall across the scheme. GLA Officers are working with the developer to increase the overall of affordable housing in line with current policy aspirations. Phase one only includes 20 per centaffordable housing because this stage is heavily burdened by infrastructure costs which cover; refurbishing the Millennium Mills and bring this building back into use, repairing the Dock walls and significant ground works at the site. Phase 1 consists of 943 homes in the following plots:
Plot
Tenure
TOTAL HOMES
Plot 1
Private
257
Intermediate
8
Plot 5
Private
0
Affordable Rent
36
Plot 6
Private
61
Intermediate
45
Plot 7
Private
240
Plot 8
Private
207
Affordable Rent
67
Intermediate
22
Total
Private
765
Affordable Rent
103
Intermediate
75
TOTAL
943
The affordable level for each phase will be reviewed as part of the Reserved Matters application process but will reflect the overall minimums in the Outline Planning Consent. GLA officers will work with LB Newham and the developer to seek to maximise affordable housing where possible.

Silvertown Quays (1)

Navin Shah: Please provide an update on the current state of development of the Silvertown Quays site in Newham, planning reference14/01605/OUT. Please break down by all the different use classes, especially Education and Community Use.

The Mayor: The Silvertown Partnership have submitted their Reserved Matters Application for phase one in line with contractual milestones. The planning application was submitted to LB Newham and is currently being determined by officers. The planning application documents are publicly accessible on the borough’s planning portal, consisting of 279 documents.
Floor areas in square meters by use class.
Brand
			(Excl. Retail)
51,994
Office (B1)
17,716
Residential (C3)
91,356
Dedicated Brand
			A1 Retail
121
Dedicated Brand
			Food and Beverage A3-A5
177
Local Retail A1
528
Food and Beverage
			A3-A5
7,549
Hotel (C1)
Leisure & Culture (D2)
Community & Education (D1)
777
Infrastructure

Nominee Passes

Andrew Boff: Can you provide the most up to date figures on nominee passes, as previously provided for MQ 2019/14281?

The Mayor: The below table provides a breakdown of the number of Nominee Pass holders by type, as of 5 November 2019.
Pass Type
Number
TfL Nominees
18807
Third party nominees
3173
Bus Operation Nominees
20857
Retired Nominees
9527
These nominee passes are a longstanding benefit for staff and have existed in their current form since 2002.

Autism (1)

Andrew Boff: What progress have you made in the last three months to make London more autism friendly?

The Mayor: In September, I announced the £6.4 million Skills for Londoners Innovation Fund to deliver education and skills outcomes including widening participation for disabled Londoners, such as people on the autistic spectrum.
Earlier in the summer, I launched the Good Work Standard which promotes inclusive employment practices including the provision of supported internships for people with learning disabilities or those on the autistic spectrum. It is important tolead by example so in September the GLA commenced Steps into Work, a 12-month supported internship programme for adults with mild to moderate learning disabilities and/or people on the autism spectrum.

Autism (2)

Andrew Boff: Which organisations are you working with to make London more autism friendly?

The Mayor: I refer you to my previous answers:
In addition, we help to build capacity of organisations that support Londoners with autism. Mencap Bexley has participated in Team London’s Skill Up Programme and Equal People Mencap, Ambitious About Autism and Transforming Autism have been supported through Team London’s Trustee Programme.
Culture Seeds grants are supporting grassroots cultural organisations Inclusive Reality Theatre, Collective 31 and Listen Up Lewisham to run projects with people with learning disabilities including those with autism such

High Streets (1)

Leonie Cooper: In relation to my previous questions on High Streets in October, can you provide me with the data requested as soon as City Intelligence has sought the most recent data from the Local Data Company, rather than considering including it in your forthcoming Good Growth by Design (GGbD) guidance called High Streets – Adaptive Strategies?

The Mayor: My officers are currently analysing the raw data from the Local Data Company as part of ongoing work in relation to the Good Growth by Design guidance. This analysis will be completed, published and available to all, including the Assembly, in January alongside the final High Streets - Adaptive Strategies report. The raw data can be shared sooner, subject to the terms and conditions under which it was acquired, but the analysis will provide a clearer picture and insights into what the data is telling us.

High Streets (2)

Leonie Cooper: When do you intend to publish your Good Growth by Design (GGbD) guidance called High Streets – Adaptive Strategies?

The Mayor: My Regeneration team has been working closely with my Mayor’s Design Advocates, boroughs and external experts to finalise the High Streets - Adaptive Strategies guidance.
The report will be published and shared as part of a series of events under my Good Growth by Design (GGbD) programme at a High Street Network Event on 21st January.

City Airport

Leonie Cooper: Will you publish your response to City Airport’s Master Plan consultation?

The Mayor: My response to the London City Airport consultation on its Master Plan has been published on the TfL website: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/aviation

Hammersmith Bridge (2)

Leonie Cooper: When will the decision be made to implement the temporary, alternative arrangements for Hammersmith Bridge?

The Mayor: Work is already underway for the complete refurbishment of Hammersmith Bridge to reopen it as soon as possible.
Transport for London (TfL) and Hammersmith & Fulham Council are currently exploring the feasibility and cost of installing a temporary foot and cycle bridge, which would allow work on the bridge to proceed uninterrupted while ensuring people can still walk and cycle across the river here. TfL and the Council expect to be in a position to make a decision in the coming months.
In the meantime, in acknowledgment of the difficulties those with restricted mobility are experiencing crossing the river, TfL has launched an extended Dial-a-Ride (DaR) service in the area surrounding the bridge. This provides another option for people who might struggle walking or cycling across the bridge. TfL has also reorganised buses in the area to ensure residents still have a well-connected public transport network while the bridge remains closed.

Residential solar PV in London

Leonie Cooper: How much has London’s residential solar PV capacity grown since 2010? Please break this down by year and Borough.

The Mayor: According to BEIS data, residential solar capacity in London grew from 1,927 kW in 2010 to 78,004 kW by the end of March 2019. The break down by year and by borough is presented in the table below. This only includes solar projects in receipt of Government subsidy (feed-in tariffs). There will be more installations that have been installed since the closure of the FiT in March this year.

Royal Albert Dock (1)

Navin Shah: Please provide an update on the current state of development of the Royal Albert Dock site in Newham, planning reference14/00618/OUT. Please break down by all the different use classes, especially Cultural and Community Use.

The Mayor: The developer Advanced Business Park (ABP) has completed phase one of the development which includes c530,000 square feet of office space and c30,000 square feet of retail space. Phase one was completed in April 2019 and ABP and the GLA are discussing options for the delivery of phase two.

Silvertown Quays (3)

Navin Shah: I understand the GLA is working with the developer to explore options to increase the level of affordable housing on the site. Can you provide more details on what options you are exploring and whether it will change the number of homes due to be delivered on the site?

The Mayor: GLA Officers are working with the developer to increase the overall quantum of affordable housing. A preferred option has not yet been confirmed and therefore the GLA are unable to confirm whether the number of homes on site will change.

Childcare deposit scheme

Caroline Pidgeon: Please publish a table showing the number of employees who have applied for interest-free loans to assist with the up-front costs of childcare provision, as announced on the 27 January 2017, showing figures for (a) Greater London Authority, (b) London Fire Brigade, (c) London Legacy Development Corporation, (d) the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime, (e) the Metropolitan Police Service, (f) the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, and (g) Transport for London.

The Mayor: The childcare deposit loan scheme (CDLS) provides a loan to employees who need to secure a childcare place. Much like a travel season ticket loan, it is interest free and paid back in instalments from the borrower’s salary.
The CDLS is available to employees across the GLA group, targeting in particular employees returning from parental leave. 49 employees from the GLA group have so far applied for loans and 58 loans have been issued. The CDLS is one of the offers to employees to help with childcare costs. Parents could also choose to benefit from other support such as the London Fire Brigade’s childcare scheme which is available to certain staff grades, or the Metropolitan Police Service’s flexible working scheme which helps staff accommodate childcare, or the Government’s tax-free childcare. The GLA’s HR team is exploring ways to increase take-up as part of a wider review of all family friendly policies at the GLA.
I want all London employers to offer the CDLS to their staff. That’s why I have included the CDLS toolkit in my Good Work Standard, so that more parents can benefit from this help.

Mayor’s Business Advisory Board

Caroline Pidgeon: Please state how many times the Mayor’s Business Advisory Board has met since May 2016. Please also state the specific meetings that were chaired by the Mayor of London.

The Mayor: The Mayor’s Business Advisory Board has met twelve times since May 2016. The Mayor has chaired every meeting.

Engine Idling in Barnet [1]

Andrew Dismore: Following on from Question No: 2019/19934, What reasons did Barnet Council give for not taking part in the engine idling campaign? In your answer you said there was still the possibility for them to be involved in the current tranche of funding; how long might Barnet have to change their decision and apply for funding?

The Mayor: My officers have engaged with Barnet on several occasions during 2019 to ask them to join the scheme.
Barnet stated that they didn’t feel engine idling is a significant issue in their area. They also weren’t able to commit to having in place the ability to enforce against idling vehicles in response to complaints from residents, as they said they could not resource this.
I believe that the enforcement element is essential, in order to send a clear message that engine idling – and resident concerns – are being taken seriously. All other boroughs have signed up to this requirement by using existing officer resource. The MAQF project has provided a workshop and information-sharing forums to support boroughs that did not already have idling enforcement mechanisms in place.
The project would be able to accept late participation from Barnet until the end of this year.

Location of leaseholders in receipt of remediation funds (7)

Andrew Dismore: What is the total value of private sector remediation funds awarded to any applicant that is not based and registered in the UK?

The Mayor: The GLA’s role in delivering PSCRF is purely administrative. The Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) led on designing the application process. The address of the applicant is not a necessary criteria at the point of application. The application form does not collect address details for the Applicant. The GLA will obtain this information later in the diligence and approval process before releasing any funding. The information you have requested is therefore not known at this stage.

Location of leaseholders in receipt of remediation funds (6)

Andrew Dismore: What checks are made on individuals, companies, or other bodies applying to the remediation funds to determine whether they are shell companies for operations from tax havens?

The Mayor: The Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund was set up to protect leaseholders from bearing the costs of remediating the unsafe ACM cladding, therefore, the entity applying will not be the beneficiary of the fund. Funding will be apportioned out to leaseholders, in compliance with State Aid regulations, and further checks are carried out the ensure the bank account receiving the funds is registered under the Client Money Protection Scheme or a Trust Fund held for the benefit of leaseholders.

Location of leaseholders in receipt of remediation funds (5)

Andrew Dismore: Of the applications to the private sector cladding remediation fund, how many have been from businesses with a non-UK address?

The Mayor: The GLA’s role in delivering PSCRF is purely administrative. The Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) led on designing the application process. The address of the applicant is not a necessary criteria at the point of application. The application form does not collect address details for the Applicant. The GLA will obtain this information later in the diligence and approval process before releasing any funding. The information you have requested is therefore not known at this stage.

Location of leaseholders in receipt of remediation funds (4)

Andrew Dismore: Of the applications to the private sector cladding remediation fund, how many have been from businesses registered outside the UK?

The Mayor: The GLA’s role in delivering PSCRF is purely administrative. The Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) led on designing the application process. The address of the applicant is not a necessary criteria at the point of application. The application form does not collect address details for the Applicant. The GLA will obtain this information later in the diligence and approval process before releasing any funding. The information you have requested is therefore not known at this stage.

Location of leaseholders in receipt of remediation funds (3)

Andrew Dismore: Of the applications to the private sector cladding remediation fund, how many have been from applicants with citizenships other than British?

The Mayor: The Applicant to the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund is the Responsible Entity for the building. The Responsible Entity is nearly always an organisation owning the freehold or head lease. As such, citizenship of individuals is not known.

Location of leaseholders in receipt of remediation funds (2)

Andrew Dismore: Of the applications to the private sector cladding remediation fund, how many have been from applicants with a non-UK address?

The Mayor: The GLA’s role in delivering PSCRF is purely administrative. The Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) led on designing the application process. The address of the applicant is not an essential criteria at the point of application. The application form does not collect address details for the Applicant. The GLA will obtain this information later in the diligence and approval process before releasing any funding. The information you have requested is therefore not known at this stage.

Location of leaseholders in receipt of remediation funds (1)

Andrew Dismore: How many applications to the private sector cladding remediation fund have been received?

The Mayor: As of 8 November 2019, 32 applications had been started in the GLA’s Open Project System (OPS). My team are working closely with building owners to progress these applications as quickly as possible.

Genders of firefighters affected by cancer

Andrew Dismore: Thank you for your answer to question 2019/19955. Please provide these figures broken down by gender.

The Mayor: Year
No of Staff
Men
Women
2010
11
10
1
2011
7
7
0
2012
10
10
0
2013
4
4
0
2014
13
12
1
2015
12
9
3
2016
4
4
0
2017
12
9
3
2018
8
8
0
2019 (to 30 September 2019)
9
8
1
Current cancer cases
1
1
0

NHS EU exit working group

Onkar Sahota: Please provide an update on the Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience’s discussions with the NHS EU exit working group.

The Mayor: Following discussions between the Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience and the NHS at the EU working group in February, preparations for a no-deal EU Exit have continued. The Deputy Mayor spoke at an NHS workshop in September which was held to learn about the preparations the NHS has put in place to manage a no-deal EU Exit, including their national preparations to control the supply of vital drugs and medical devices.
The London Resilience Forum preparations established a bespoke health and medicines group to provide timely intelligence and impact assessments to the Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) and to take forward any mitigating actions in the event of a no-deal. With Britain’s exit from the EU now having been postponed, the SCG has been stood down, but the structure will be ready to be reconvened at a later date.

Private sector remediation progress (1)

Andrew Dismore: How much money has been a) allocated and b) disbursed to remediate high rise private sector residential buildings with ACM cladding in London?

The Mayor: So far, £49,495 has allocated under the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund. No funding has yet been disbursed.

Use of the Mayor’s Land Fund for NHS land (1)

Onkar Sahota: Please provide an update on discussions between the GLA and the NHS on using the Mayor’s Land Fund to develop surplus NHS land.

The Mayor: London Estates Delivery Unit has regular engagement with Trusts across the five Sustainable Transformation Partnerships areas and is working closely with One Public Estate to ensure that options for delivery are highlighted to the Trusts; this includes information sharing about the Mayor’s Land Fund. In support of this the GLA Housing and Land team are working closely with LEDU to ensure that all opportunities to develop surplus NHS land are fully explored across London.

Percentage of affordable homes on public land (3)

Onkar Sahota: Will you ask the NHS in London to provide you with figures on the number and percentage of affordable homes built on land trusts the NHS have sold in London?

The Mayor: I have asked GLA officers, through the London Estates Delivery Unit, to explore how this information can be most effectively obtained to ensure that it does not create a monitoring burden and collects accurate data.

Use of the Mayor’s Land Fund for NHS land (2)

Onkar Sahota: Please provide a list of all sites and the costs thereof that have been acquired from the NHS using the Mayor’s Land Fund.

The Mayor: To date, two NHS sites have been acquired through the Homes for Londoners Land Fund: A 1.4-hectare site at the North Middlesex University Hospital (NMUH) in Edmonton for £12.8 million; and two-thirds of the St Ann’s Hospital site in Haringey. As the St Ann’s site is part of a live procurement, I am unable to disclose the acquisition costs at this time.

New recruits to LFB (3)

Andrew Dismore: Please provide the most up to date pay scales for LFB operational ranks including incremental and probationary adjustments.

The Mayor: The up-to-date London Fire Brigade (LFB) operational pay scales are set out in the tables below.
Rank
Basic Salary
Basic hourly
Overtime x 1.5
Overtime PH x 2
£
£
£
£
Trainee Firefighter
27,750
12.67
19.01
25.34
Firefighter Development
28,861
13.18
19.77
26.36
Firefighter Competent (from PDR sign off date)
37,032
16.91
25.37
33.82
Firefighter Competent Plus (after 5 years from PDR sign off date)
37,984
17.34
26.01
34.68
Leading Firefighter Development (paid at LFF competent rate)
40,416
18.45
27.68
36.9
Leading Firefighter Competent (from PDR sign off date)
40,416
18.45
27.68
36.9
Leading Firefighter Maximum (after 1 year from PDR sign off date)
41,369
18.89
28.34
37.78
Sub Officer Development (paid at SubO competent rate)
42,273
19.3
28.95
38.6
Sub Officer Competent (from PDR sign off date)
42,273
19.3
28.95
38.6
Sub Officer Maximum (after 1 year from PDR sign off date)
43,097
19.68
29.52
39.36
Station Officer Development (paid at StnO competent rate)
44,499
20.32
30.48
40.64
Station Officer Competent (from PDR sign off date)
44,499
20.32
30.48
40.64
Station Officer 1 year (after 1 year from PDR sign off date)
45,639
20.84
31.26
41.68
Station Officer 2 year (after 2 years from PDR sign off date)
46,780
21.36
32.04
42.72
Station Officer Maximum (after 3 years from PDR sign off date)
48,210
22.01
33.02
44.02
Legacy Protected Sub Officer rate
This Sub Officer pay scale applies if the Sub Officer/WMA is on this protected rate at the time of role to rank (16/10/2019). Prior to becoming a Watch Manager A, the employee would have been a Crew Manager ‘competent plus’ on the CM+ Scheme A). No staff are being placed on this rate after 16/10/2019.
Station commander to group commander
Role
Basic salary
FDS
Total
Hourly Rate
Station Commander Development
45,707
9,141.40
54,848.40
25.04
Station Commander A Competent
46,912
9,382.40
56,294.40
25.71
*Station Commander A Competent Plus
47,699
9,539.80
57,238.80
26.14
Station Commander B Competent
49,841
9,968.20
59,809.20
27.31
*Station Commander B Competent Plus
50,629
10,125.80
60,754.80
27.74
Group Commander Development
51,799
10,359.80
62,158.80
28.38
Group Commander A Competent
53,186
10,637.20
63,823.20
29.14
*Group Commander A Competent Plus
53,977
10,795.40
64,772.40
29.58
Group Commander B Competent
56,820
11,364.00
68,184.00
31.13
*Group Commander B Competent Plus
57,607
11,521.40
69,128.40
31.57
* Competent plus rate is paid after one year at competent rate
Job Title/ Band
Salary bands (£) at 01.01.2019
Minimum
Salary bands (£) at 01.01.2019
Maximum
Commissioner
186,172
227,543
Directors
141,584
171,055
Assistant Commissioner
113,267
136,339
Deputy Assistant Commissioner
78,091
97,746
TMG Tier A
84,950
117,166
TMG Tier B
78,091
97,746
TMG Tier C
70,267
88,096

Junction of Tower Bridge Road and Druid Street

Caroline Pidgeon: A constituent has contacted me raising concerns that at peak hours in the morning and afternoon pedestrians are unable to cross Tower Bridge Road once they have the priority to do so. This is due to the fact that the vehicles turning right from Druid Street into Tower Bridge Road are blocking their way. What steps are being taken to regulate the traffic at these specific times?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is aware of this issue and has been working to remedy the situation. TfL altered signal timings at this junction in June to improve the control of northbound traffic towards Tower Bridge and keep the crossing points free of traffic.
The construction of Cycleway 4 at Tooley Street since July has required several lane closures and diversions, which is temporarily adding to the pressure on this area. This work is nearing completion and the situation should soon improve. In the interim, TfL has used new traffic signal strategies to mitigate the impact of the works but recognises that there has been an increase in northbound queuing on Tower Bridge Road.
TfL will continue to review the signal strategies at the Tower Bridge Road and Druid Street junction and make any appropriate changes to ensure pedestrians can access the crossing.

New recruits to LFB (1)

Andrew Dismore: How many people recruited by LFB to be firefighters in each year from 2012 have been previously qualified firefighters either in a) LFB and b) other Brigades?

The Mayor: Trainee and firefighter transferee joiners from 01/01/2012 – 31/10/2019 are set out in the table below.
Year
Total trainee firefighter and firefighter joiners
Total with previous London Fire Brigade service
Total with previous service at another fire and rescue service
2012
98
0
8
2013
0
0
0
2014
0
0
0
2015
89
0
14
2016
80
0
3
2017
175
0
17
2018
328
0
99
2019 (to 31Oct)
350
1
81
Total
1120
1
222

Air pollution health emergencies (3)

Leonie Cooper: What is your message to Londoners with health concerns who are unable to change their work or caring responsibilities on days with high air pollution, despite seeing your warnings?

The Mayor: There are some simple steps that Londoners can take to reduce their personal exposure on a high pollution day, such as choosing routes that do not follow busier roads. In order to facilitate this, my Transport Strategy includes plans to prioritise quieter, safer and more appealing routes for walking and cycling. You can find more details about the Clean Air Route Finder here: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/pollution-and-air-quality/clean-air-route-finder.
I am also doing everything that I can to reduce emissions at their source and interventions like the Ultra Low Emission Zone and Low Emission Bus Zones have already shown significant emissions reductions and reductions in roadside NO2 concentrations, reducing the frequency of the worst episodes of poor air quality and public exposure to pollution.

Air pollution health emergencies (2)

Leonie Cooper: Given the extremely worrying data on health emergencies on days with high air pollution, are you satisfied that your air pollution alerts programme currently goes far enough to protect vulnerable Londoners? What other channels of communication could you use to ensure this messaging reaches people who need it?

The Mayor: I share your concern about the short-term health impacts of high and very high levels of air pollution. This is why I launched the pan-London alerts system when I first came into office and have recently taken steps to further expand its reach.
For high and very high pollution days, alerts now include:
The alerts are sent directly to schools in London and to care homes and GP surgeries through the London Resilience Forum.
The nature of air quality forecasting is such that these quick modes of communication are the most appropriate way of notifying people of air pollution episodes.

Emissions from non-transport sources

Leonie Cooper: The co-Chair of London Councils, Lord Tope, recently launched a Bill to give councils more powers and funding to tackle air pollution from non-transport sources. Do you agree with him that the Government needs to divert more powers and funding, and what action have you taken as Mayor to reduce non-transport emissions?

The Mayor: I agree that Government needs to create powers to enable me and the boroughs to tackle pollution. Funding mechanisms will need to be put in place to ensure that these powers can be used without impacting on other vital services.
Despite my limited powers I have taken steps where I can. For instance, I have used the planning system to introduce standards for Non-Road Mobile Machinery on construction sites with a goal of zero emissions by 2040. I have introduced the same standards for GLA events and TfL roadworks.
Through my new London Plan, I support heating technologies that are both low emission and low carbon and policies like air quality positive and air quality neutral will go further to reduce building emissions. I have also been working to ensure that air quality is considered in my energy efficiency schemes and grants such as warmer homes.

Electric vehicle industry

Leonie Cooper: What are the implications of James Dyson’s decision to cancel his electric vehicle project on the industry and on London’s transition to green transport? Do you agree with his assessment that electric vehicles cannot be the only solution to air pollution and the climate emergency?

The Mayor: I agree that electric vehicles are not the sole answer to improving air quality and tackling the climate emergency. Reducing car dependency and increasing the number of trips walked, cycled or on public transport is crucial. In my environment and transport strategies I have set out a clear approach to do this. By 2041 I want 80 per cent of trips to be walked, cycled or on public transport, up from about 64 per cent today. This is the most effective way to reduce emissions, protect health and get Londoners more active.
While achieving this target will be a major step in reducing car dependency in London, I recognise that there will still be some trips which need to be done in private vehicles. I want these remaining vehicles to be zero emission and am putting in place the supporting policies and infrastructure needed to make this happen. I am also leading by example: London now has the largest electric bus fleet in Europe and over 2,500 zero emission capable taxis.
Nearly all the major car manufacturers now produce electric vehicles. The number of models is increasing rapidly and prices are falling. As a result I am confident that all of London’s remaining vehicles will be zero emission by 2050 as set out in my strategies. While disappointing, Dyson’s decision is unlikely to impact this especially as its proposed electric car was never intended to be a mass-market vehicle.

Pesticides

Leonie Cooper: Given PAN-UK’s recent, worrying report, ‘The Cocktail Effect’, will you accelerate action on harmful pesticides in London as the Assembly called for in our motion in July 2019?

The Mayor: To help land-owners reduce, and where possible, eliminate the use of pesticides, I am working with Parks for London to produce a guidance note on integrated weed management. This new guidance, which is due to be published in February next year, will show how to reduce or eliminate herbicide use.
I am pleased that the London Borough of Hackney are undertaking a glyphosate free pilot in part of the borough to inform future decisions about herbicide use. I look forward to hearing about the outcomes of the trial and what lessons can be shared with other boroughs and land-owners.
As stated in my response to Mayor's Question 2019/622, TfL continueto explore safer alternatives for weed treatment which they are obliged to undertake on ballasted railway tracks.

The State of Nature

Leonie Cooper: The Government’s State of Nature report showed a dire situation for wildlife across England but did not provide data specific to London. Will you conduct an assessment of London’s State of Nature and use it to inform action on biodiversity?

The Mayor: Appendix 2 of my London Environment Strategy sets out the evidence base that informed the development of the policies and proposals in the strategy. This includes a summary of the state of the natural environment in London, primarily relating to priority habitats and well-recorded species groups such as birds and butterflies.
The Government’s State of Nature report was only able to provide a general summary of the state ofurban nature because of the lack of consistent and comprehensive data for urban areas in general, including London.
That is why in the London Environment Strategy I made a commitment to work with partners to establish a cost-effective natural environment monitoring framework. It will be based on theopportunities provided by new technology (including satellite imagery, acoustic monitoring and DNA analysis) and new researchapproaches to analysing existing data. I shall be publishing a report early in 2020 which will outlinehow I will trial anddevelop these newtechniques.

Climate Emergency (2)

Leonie Cooper: Do you consider the route to your target of a Zero Carbon London by 2050 to run through Net Zero by 2030? Are we on track to meet both these targets?

The Mayor: The emissions trajectory associated with our 1.5 Climate Plan sets out a pathway to achieve net zero by 2050. This shows that London can reduce its emissions by roughly 90 per centbelow 1990 levels by 2050, with the remaining 10 per centneeding to be be addressed through offsetting or the use of negative emissions technologies.
As recently confirmed by C40, London’s emissions have peaked and are on a downward trend. We are on track to meet our first carbon budget, provided government forecasts for decarbonisation of the electricity grid (largely by generating more power from large scale renewables like wind farms) are met. We of course would like to achieve our objectives sooner, but current Government commitments and the Mayor’s powers would only enable us to achieve a 35 per centreduction in emissions on 1990 levels. To achieve deeper cuts requires much greater Government action, for example to accelerate the decarbonisation of the electricity grid, move to zero emissions vehicles and introduce new policies to decarbonise heat.

Climate Emergency (1)

Leonie Cooper: It has been nearly a year since the Assembly passed a motion declaring a climate emergency. You committed to taking action through TfL and lobbying the Government for further funding and powers. What progress have you made?

The Mayor: I am proud London was one of the first three global cities to produce a Climate Action Plan to be compatible with the Paris Climate Agreement since I became Mayor. I am taking world leading action through TfL, including launching the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone, creating the largest electric bus fleet in Europe, installing rapid charge points across the capital and helping Londoners to use public transport by freezing fares.
However, I only have powers to deliver less than half the emission cuts required to make London zero carbon – we urgently need new policies and funding at a national level. This includes support to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, establishing a clear and realistic plan for the long-term decarbonisation of heat, removing the barriers to small scale solar, particularly community energy projects and bringing forward the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 to 2030.

Go Sutton bus service

Caroline Pidgeon: On the 28th May 2019 TfL published a press release about the commencement of the on-demand bus service ‘Go Sutton’. Please confirm the exact dates that TfL will run this trial? Has any consideration been given to running a longer trial than the initially suggested 12 months to fully consider whether demand will build up on this innovative bus service?

The Mayor: The GoSutton trial, which started on 28 May 2019, is scheduled to conclude on 27 May 2020. This initiative, along with a second 12-month research trial in Ealing which launched on 13 November, will help Transport for London (TfL) understand how demand-responsive buses might complement existing public transport and reduce car dependency in outer London.
Both research initiatives are the result of an extensive procurement process. The contractual and financial commitments of the respective operators, and the understanding of stakeholders consulted, are that they run for 12 months only.

TFL bonuses

Keith Prince: How much has TfL paid out in bonuses in each year since 2015/16?

The Mayor: The figures below refer to the definition of a bonus used for the formal pay gap calculations, except for the exclusion of recognition scheme vouchers and long service awards. ‘Bonus’ therefore includes individual performance related pay across all levels at Transport for London, London Underground’s performance bonus scheme and other one-off bonus payments such as retention bonuses.
Year
£Total Bonus
2015/16
£20,035,726
2016/17
£16,297,810
2017/18
£14,099,686
2018/19
£10,251,473

Signal failures

Keith Prince: How many signal failures have there been on each Tube line since May 2016? Please provide a monthly breakdown.

The Mayor: Please see attachment for the information you have requested.
The vast majority of signal failures were for short durations, and Transport for London (TfL) worked to resolve the issues as quickly as possible to ensure that Londoners could get to their destinations.
TfL is modernising the network with unprecedented levels of investment in the Tube, which will drive further reliability improvements. The Four Lines Modernisation Programme is one of the most important upgrades in the history of the Tube network. This programme will transform the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, with up to 32 trains per hour in the peak by 2023.
More robust parts are being introduced at points and crossings, as part of a wider track improvement programme across the Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines. TfL has also introduced monitoring equipment that detects deterioration of track, so that mitigation work can be carried out early before signal failures take place.

Bus dismissals

Keith Prince: For each of the years Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18 and Nov 18 to Oct 19, please can you state how many bus drivers have been struck off? Please provide a breakdown by reason for dismissal.

The Mayor: As bus drivers are employed by operators and their personal data is protected, Transport for London does not hold information on the number of drivers dismissed or the reasons for their dismissals. The staff policies of all operators include codes of conduct and include dismissal for significant breaches of these codes, such as for gross misconduct.

Gospel Oak to Barking Line Refunds

Jennette Arnold: Residents reliant upon the Gospel Oak to Barking line are raising concerns that no refunds have been made to them for travel during September. Refunds were anticipated to be within 2 weeks. Please explain when these payments will all be made by and why TfL are causing further difficulty to users of this line.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is committed to providing refunds in a timely manner and has already refunded over £900,000 to customers using the Gospel Oak to Barking line.
Information on refunds and when they would be made is on the TfL website. Refunds for pay as you go and most season ticket holders have usually been given within two weeks of travel. Refunds for Annual and odd-period season ticket holders are given as a credit in customer’s TfL online account, for them to use on their next season ticket or cash in. These credits take longer to arrange. All refunds will have been given by the end of November.
Full information is available to customers here https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/london-overground/gospel-oak-to-barking-improvements

Wrightbus

Tony Devenish: Would Wrightbus have entered administration if you hadn’t decided to cancel any further purchases of the New Bus for London?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) procured the full allowance of 1,000 New Routemasters under its contract with Wrightbus.
TfL did not cancel further purchases as this contract had run its course. Like other manufacturers, Wrightbus has been competing for business from bus operators who buy and lease single and double-deck vehicles to fulfil commitments to run routes in London when they successfully tender for them.

Tube Noise (1)

Tony Devenish: Broken down by borough and by Tube Line, how many reports of excessive Tube noise has TfL received in every month since May 2016?

The Mayor: Addressing Tube noise is a hugely important issue, and I have stressed to Transport for London (TfL) the importance of minimising noise levels. TfL is working hard to achieve this, continually monitoring levels across the Tube network, and carrying out practical action to address known concerns.
Please see my answer to Mayor's Question 2019/20386 for residential noise complaints. The attached table shows all in-carriage Tube noise complaints. TfL is implementing a number of immediate and longer-term solutions to tackle in-carriage noise. This includes the implementation of an enhanced programme of rail grinding, which triples the amount of grinding at prioritised sites.
Since October 2018 TfL’s Customer Service Centre has put in place a new process to ensure that all complaints regarding in-carriage Tube noise are centrally recorded, to ensure complaints are measured accurately. To ensure accuracy and consistency, figures have been provided from October 2018 onwards. In-carriage noise complaints are recorded by the nearest station rather than a precise location, so this breakdown is shown by Tube line only.

Take-up of Early Years Provision

Jennette Arnold: What change in the take-up of free childcare has there been among residents of areas covered by an early years hub? Please break this down by income decile.

The Mayor: My three Early Years Hubs, established in January 2018, bring together partners from their local area to improve quality of early years provision and take up of free early education amongst the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds. Our latest data shows that over 1,700 2-year-olds are accessing a free place in early years provision supported by my Hubs. All these children come from families on low income or have special educational needs or disabilities.
Annual data on uptake of free early education is published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/education-provision-children-under-5-years-of-age-january-2019.56 per centof eligible two-year-olds in London use their free early education entitlement, uptake has risen by 10 percentage points since 2015. Nationally there was a decline in uptake between 2018 and 2019 of 4 percentage points, and a reduction of 5 percentage points in London. Two of the boroughs where the hubs are located bucked this trend with an increase in uptake up of 9 percentage points (Wandsworth) and 2 percentage points (Newham). As well as encouraging uptake of free early education, the Hubs have supported over 300 early years settings to deliver quality early education, with 1,600 practitioners benefitting from their work. They’re also supporting parents to develop their skills, encouraging more people to consider a career in childcare, and are bringing together health and early years professionals to improve support for children with special educational needs.

Welfare Advice in Schools (2)

Jennette Arnold: What is the average financial gain made by individuals accessing the welfare advice in schools service?

The Mayor: The interim evaluation findings show that seven of the 30 families who accessed the embedded welfare advice service in schools in the first five weeks of our pilot received confirmation of additional income straight away. The majority of the remaining 23 families were still awaiting replies or decisions.
The total amount of additional income obtained for the seven families who received confirmation in the first five weeks was £48,708.15 per annum making the average £6,958.31 per family. We expect to see more gains as the project continues.

Model City London

Jennette Arnold: Please provide an update on the Model City London programme.

The Mayor: The Model City initiative is a partnership between City Hall, Laureus Sport for Good and Nike, empowering communities to create change in their local area through harnessing the power of sport. This was launched as a place-based pilot in three London Boroughs: Haringey, Barking and Hounslow.
Each of the areas has formed a coalition of community organisations and leaders and to date 388 individuals and 253 organisations have been engaged. Each coalition has mapped out its own unique vision for improving social integration through sport in their communities and opened up grant funding for projects delivering this change. In October 26 project grants totalling £427,000 were awarded (8 projects in Barking, 10 in Haringey, and 8 in Hounslow), and will commence delivery shortly. Essentially, we have actively encouraged local communities to influence the decisions that impact them and have adapted funding accordingly. Interim evaluations have showed this innovate ‘bottom up’ approach has been very effective and well received. The final evaluation will be published in Spring 2021.

Empty Mini Cabs (1)

Tony Devenish: What measures have TfL put in place to ensure mini-cabs are not driving around London while empty, to maintain London's air quality?

The Mayor: To tackle London’s air quality crisis, I have put in a place a number of initiatives that affect vehicles driven on London’s roads, including private hire vehicles (PHVs). For example, the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was introduced in central London in April and PHVs are required to meet its emission standards or pay a charge to enter the zone. The initial 6-month report shows since its introduction there has been a significant impact on emissions and the number of older, more polluting vehicles on our roads. The ULEZ will be expanded to the North and South Circular roads in 2021. I am also encouraging the use of electric vehicles with the rollout of 300 rapid charge points by the end of 2020 and thousands of slower charging points across London.
To reduce congestion in central London, which can have an impact on air quality, the Congestion Charge exemption for PHVs was also removed in April. The fall in unique private hire vehicles entering the zone on a single day has been as high as 36 per cent (or 6,792 fewer vehicles) when compared with before the exemption was removed.
The removal of the PHV exemption complements new emissions-focused licensing requirements that were introduced for newly licensed PHVs in January 2018. Further changes will are due to be made in 2020 and again in 2023 – these are set out here: www.tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/emissions-standards-for-p...

clean up the bus fleet (1)

Florence Eshalomi: You have said that all new double-deck buses will be hybrid, electric or hydrogen from 2018. Can you confirm how many double-deck buses have joined the TfL fleet since 1st January 2018 and whether they were hybrid, electric or hydrogen?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) estimates that 727 new double-deck buses joined the fleet over this timeframe, split between the following types:
TfL has confirmed that no new conventional diesel double-deck vehicles have entered the fleet since 1January 2018.

Bus Safety Performance Index

Caroline Pidgeon: At a meeting of the London Assembly Transport Committee on 15th May 2019, TfL’s Director of Buses committed to publishing both the constituent parts and comparable results of TfL’s Bus Safety Index to reflect how bus operators performed in 2018. When can we expect to see this information published?

The Mayor: At the meeting you refer to, Transport for London (TfL) committed to regularly publishing the Bus Network Safety Performance Index (SPI). The first publication can be found on the TfL website at: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-network-safety-performance-index-p1-2019-20.pdf. It will be refreshed regularly to show performance at a network level. It is not intended as a comparison between different operators as it aims to identify areas where safety can be enhanced across the network holistically. This approach allows operators to work together and share best practice in support of a safe network rather than work in isolation.
Separately, all serious incidents on the network are followed up and any lessons from these events are shared with all operators to promote accident and injury reduction, and TfL has a Bus Safety Programme to help us put more strategic plans in place to help us achieve my Vision Zero target of no-one being killed on or by a bus by 2030.

Loughborough University's Fatigue Survey of London's Bus Drivers

Caroline Pidgeon: The documentary evidence you provided to me in response to 2019/8808 was incomplete. Pleaseprovide a copy of the agreed terms of reference, budget and milestones for the fatigue survey of London's bus drivers.

The Mayor: The documentation provided in response to Mayor's Question 2019/8808 was not incomplete.
Agreed terms of reference
While there is no specific ‘terms of reference’ document, the attachment included in my response provided the proposal for the survey. This specifically describes Loughborough University’s task and explains the University’s proposed methodology, participants and outcomes, which Transport for London (TfL) accepted.
However, I have also attached TfL’s Invitation to Tender which provides more details of the scope of the project. It should be noted that the scope and milestones detailed in this document developed over the course of the research, with the fuller remit to be included in the final study.
I also understand that TfL has shared a number of emails with you relating to the project. I trust that the information I have provided and the emails TfL has shared with you, gives you the information you are seeking.
Budget
As noted in my previous response, the budget for the driver survey element of the Loughborough University research was £9,900.
Milestones
The survey milestones are detailed on the updated timeline on the final page of the attachment included in my previous response.

Pontoon Dock (2)

Navin Shah: 30% of the new homes on the site are to be affordable. Please provide a breakdown on the number of homes and their bed size and tenure type.

The Mayor: Please see the breakdown below:
Dwelling Mix
1bed
38.5%
2bed
39%
3bed
22.5%
Affordable Housing
Overall
34.7%
Social Rent
43 units
Affordable Rent
39 units
Shared Ownership
154 units

Sprinklers on GLA land (2)

Andrew Dismore: Will you write to all development partners working on residential properties on GLA land and advise them to fit sprinklers in relevant buildings, as advised by LFB?

The Mayor: I am taking important steps to ensure future buildings which I commission via the London Development Panel 2 (LDP2) are of the highest standards of fire safety. Under LDP2, I will require the provision of sprinklers in all new purpose-built blocks of flats; non-standard residential buildings, such as hotels and student accommodation; and in all new buildings used for care homes, where building users may be less able to evacuate quickly, and in schools. The GLA will be writing to panel members to infrom them of these new requirements.

Human Error and TfL’s Failure to send Fatigue Audit IA 17 780 to RAIB, SNC Lavalin, ORR and Police

Keith Prince: Further to my questioning of TfL’s HSE Director on 15 May, has TfL identified the “Human” or “Humans” who committed the "human error" which caused IA 17 780 not to be sent to the authorities until the existence and contents of this report was publicised by a blogger?

The Mayor: There was no single person responsible.As explained in my response to Mayor's Question 2018/1312, Transport for London (TfL) would not normally forward audit reports to the ORR, RAIB or BTP, and these authorities would normally request any information they required. TfL always provided the authorities with any information requested. As a result of this situation however, TfL has now strengthened its procedures to avoid this occurring again.

Talking Buses Across London

Jennette Arnold: Please provide details of the allocation of talking buses across London. Please provide a breakdown of allocation borough by borough.

The Mayor: All buses in the London fleet are “talking’’ vehicles, with the iBus system announcing the route and destination on departure from a stop and the next stop on its approach to that point. Transport for London cannot provide an allocation by borough, as the bus network is operated by 670 routes crossing many boundaries. However, information on bus routes and stops is available at https://tfl.gov.uk/search/?q=bus+routes, while information on the bus fleet is available at https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/bus-fleet-data-and-audits.

Rent control

Tony Devenish: Please publish the notes of Deputy Mayor James Murray's 19 September 2019 round table Build to Rent meeting on rent controls.

The Mayor: The roundtable is part of wider engagement currently underway with a range of stakeholders on my proposals for rent control. A summary of the discussions will be published early next year.

Autism (3)

Andrew Boff: How are you currently working with London businesses to make London more autism friendly?

The Mayor: My Good Work Standard (GWS) sets a benchmark for good employment practice in London. I expect employers operating at ‘excellence’ level to demonstrate that they embed outstanding practices into their work, including offering supported internships to disabled Londoners including those on the autistic spectrum 40 businesses have already become GWS-accredited since its launch in July, covering sectors such as retail, local government, care, research, finance, and encompassing 184,000 employees.
Businesses are support London’s all-age careers offers which includes a specialist careers cluster in Ealing for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Buildings with simultaneous evacuation processes (1)

Andrew Dismore: How many residential buildings have been changed from stay-put to simultaneous evacuation? Please break this total down by those buildings which have ACM cladding and those which have had stay-put suspended for other reasons

The Mayor: As of 6 November 2019, London Fire Brigade records 252 buildings in London that have moved to a temporary suspension of the ‘stay put’ policy and have simultaneous evacuation measures in place. Of these, 117 identify ACM cladding as the primary cause and 135 are non-ACM related.

Buildings with simultaneous evacuation processes (2)

Andrew Dismore: What is the a) modal average, b) longest and c) shortest number of days that residential buildings have had stay put suspended for?

The Mayor: The London Fire Brigade (LFB) does not record specific data on the length of time that simultaneous evacuation procedures have been in place in buildings where there has been a temporary suspension of the ‘stay put’ policy. The experience of LFB officers, however, shows that a change to simultaneous evacuation has been as short as two days but there are also buildings whereit remains in place since its introduction in 2017.

Women and London Living Rent

Siân Berry: Thank you for your answer to my question 2016/1585. Does your methodology for calculating your London Living Rent still not take into account that women may not be able to afford rents based on average wages, since the median gender pay gap in London, according to the latest data in 2018 (https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/gender-pay-gaps), is 17 per cent?

The Mayor: I’ve made it a priority to address the gender pay gap and I’m proud that City Hall is leading by example, with the gap reduced to nearly zero. Last year Iencouraged others to follow our lead by releasing ‘Our Time: Supporting future leaders’ toolkit to help employers across the city to introduce gender equality initiative in their workplaces.
In order to ensure stability and consistency for renters, councils and providers, the methodology used to calculate London Living Rents is based on a third of median household incomes and has remained the same since its introduction.

Asbestos 1

Susan Hall: For each of the years Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18 and Nov 18 to Oct 19, please can you provide the number of times Asbestos has been found on tube property?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has strict controls in place, in line with the government’s Control of Asbestos Regulations (2012), meaning customers and staff are not at risk from exposure to asbestos when travelling on the Tube network.
TfL’s specialist teams monitor and manage locations where asbestos has been found to ensure the safety of everyone travelling or working on the network.
TfL does not record data on asbestos in the format you have requested. However, TfL has commissioned the following number of asbestos reports or surveys across the LU network during the specified periods. Each report may contain multiple instances (or an absence) of asbestos at a particular location.

Homes for Londoners online property portal

Siân Berry: On 21 June 2018, you launched a new portal to help Londoners find an affordable home, in place of the London Lettings Agency you promised in your manifesto. At Mayor’s Question Time on 22 March 2018, you said that this portal would promote: “affordable homes for Londoners to rent and buy.”
This portal (as of 31 October 2019) offers more than 900 homes to buy, but only one home for rent. This single home to rent is available at discount market rent (i.e. 80 per cent of market rent) and this is a definition of ‘affordable’ that you said you had ‘ditched’ in response to my question 2018/2448. When will your portal become either a real lettings agency or somewhere that really helps Londoners find affordable homes for rent?

The Mayor: The aim of the London Lettings Agency was to help Londoners avoid rip-off lettings fees. Having successfully lobbied Government to ban these fees, the Homes for Londoners portal now acts as a search tool for those looking for an affordable home to rent or buy.
Since its launch in June 2018 over 550,000 people have visited the Homes for Londoners portal, with over 7,500 properties having been advertised, including schemes with over 300 rental homes.
As a condition of funding, organisations in receipt of GLA grant are required to market these homes on the portal. However, as you are aware, fewer homes for sub-market rent are built in London than homes offered for sale. In addition, because of demand for rental housing, properties for rent generally remain on the portal for shorter periods of time before being let compared to those for sale.
My team continues to work with homebuilders to ensure that rental homes are uploaded to the portal.

GLA grants for shared ownership homes

Siân Berry: The GLA website provides a table showing GLA Housing Starts on Site and Completions for each of your housing grant programmes (https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/housing-and-land/increasing-housing...). However, this table does not differentiate between homes offered at London Living Rent and those offered for Shared Ownership. Could this data be split in future, and could you now provide a version of this table to me that shows which of the starts and completions detailed in each year are homes for shared ownership?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question2018/2182 and Mayor's Question 2019/12135 for a breakdown of LLR and Shared Ownership by year.
The specific differentiation of LLR/LSO is provisional either at the point the start on site or completion, the specific tenure will be based on first let and may be LLR or vice versa. As such, the information in the GLA’s published statistics combines the LLR/SO tenures.

Asbestos 3

Susan Hall: For each of the years Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18 and Nov 18 to Oct 19, please can you provide the number of times Asbestos has been found on London Fire Brigade property?

The Mayor: The total number of new incidences of asbestos identified across London Fire Brigade (LFB) estate within the three date periods are:
Newly IdentifiedAsbestos -Total number

Road pricing (3)

Gareth Bacon: Further to question 2018/2727, in relation to road pricing, do you stand by your statement that ‘such a scheme would not be introduced before May 2020’?

The Mayor: Yes.

Road pricing (4)

Gareth Bacon: Who have you consulted about the feasibility of a road pricing scheme in London, when did you consult with them, and what are your plans for future stakeholder and public engagement?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) carried out public consultation and stakeholder engagement on the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone to inner London in October 2021 and the tightening of the Low Emission Zone in October 2020. The consultation materials are available on the TfL website, here: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/environment/air-quality-consultation-phase-3b/?cid=airquality-consultation
In 2018, TfL also carried out public consultation and stakeholder engagement on the removal of the congestion charge exemption for private hire vehicles. The consultation materials are available here: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/policy/private-hire-charge-exemption/
As set out in my response to Mayor's Question2018/2727 and 2019/20270, any further road pricing proposals would be preceded by detailed feasibility work and subject to consultation with stakeholders and the public.

Fare dodgers

Keith Prince: For each of the years Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18 and Nov 18 to Oct 19, please can you provide how many fare dodgers on the TfL network have been caught? Please also provide a breakdown of the sanctions issued to these perpetrators.

The Mayor: Please see the attached table for a breakdown of warnings, penalty fares and prosecutions for the years requested.
Warnings
Penalty fares
Prosecutions
Nov 2016 - Oct 2017
1,241
69,857
16,850
Nov 2017 - Oct 2018
2,062
79,354
21,761
Nov 2018 - Oct 2019
2,339
84,832
25,095

Road pricing (5)

Gareth Bacon: Have you instructed the Deputy Mayor for Transport or any other GLA officer to develop any proposals for road pricing across London? If so, when will you publish these proposals and what are their conclusions?

The Mayor: Please see my answer to Mayor's Question 2019/20270.

Road pricing (6)

Gareth Bacon: What meetings or discussions have you had with outer London borough leaders on the impact of road pricing on their areas and what were the conclusions of those discussions?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/20273. I meet with borough leaders on a regular basis and discuss a range of issues.

Pedestrian KSIs

Keith Prince: For each of the years Nov 16 to Oct 17, Nov 17 to Oct 18 and Nov 18 to Oct 19, please can you provide a breakdown of how many pedestrians have been injured or killed on London’s roads?

The Mayor: The table below shows the number of people killed or injured whilst walking between November 2016 and October 2019. Provisional figures for the twelve months to the end of October 2019 show that the number of people injured whilst walking has fallen by four per cent when compared to the same period ending October 2018. This follows a 15 per cent reduction in people injured in the twelve months ending October 2018 when compared to same period ending October 2017. However, despite these positive trends, provisional figures for 2019 show that there has been a concerning increase in the number of people killed in road traffic collisions whilst walking, in particular in collisions involving cars.
It is neither inevitable nor acceptable that anyone should be killed or seriously injured when travelling in London, and my priority is to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from London's streets by 2041, as set out in my Vision Zero Action Plan. TfL is working on a number of initiatives to achieve this, including work to reduce speeds, make our streets and vehicles safe, and encourage safe behaviours.

Pedestrian casualties in London, November 2016 and October 2019: Time period
Fatal
Serious
Slight
All
November 2016 to October 2017
71
1,345
5,381
6,797
November 2017 to October 2018
58
1,285
4,464
5,807
November 2018 to October 2019*
76
1,249
4,257
5,582
*Figures for 2019 are provisional and subject to change
Personal injury road traffic collisions are reported to Transport for London by the police in accordance with national STATS20 instructions. Provisional details of fatalities are published at:https://tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/provisional-fatalities-in-london-oct2019.xlsx

ultra-low emission auxiliary power units

Florence Eshalomi: What have you done to promote the use of cleaner auxiliary power units?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) works with the freight and commercial vehicle industry on trials and research to promote cleaner auxiliary power units in vehicles. Details of their research report can be found at http://content.tfl.gov.uk/auxiliary-temperature-reduction-units-in-the-greater-london-area.pdf. In addition, TfL supports the LoCITY partnership which facilitates sharing of knowledge, best practice and research with the freight and servicing industry, including those that use auxiliary power units.

Firefighter deployment patterns

Andrew Dismore: How many firefighters are posted to stations within the a) ULEZ inner zone and b) ULEZ outer zone?

The Mayor: A total of 206 staff have a base post at stations within the current ULEZ area, and 1,975 staff have a base post at stations within the zone that will be the expanded ULEZ area in October 2021.

e-scooters

Florence Eshalomi: Will TfL conduct any public awareness campaigns on e-scooters, given their lack of safety?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service's Roads and Transport Policing Command (which is part-funded by Transport for London (TfL), along with the City of London Police, have stepped up activity engaging with riders of e-scooter and other micro-mobility devices. Riders are educated about the law and advised to not ride their devices on public roads. Those who refuse to comply may be fined and have their devices seized.
These vehicles remain illegal, and my Cycling & Walking Commissioner Will Norman has written to leading retailers to urge them to highlight the legal status. Any move to change the legal position will be for the Government, and ultimately Parliament. If the Department for Transport proposes changes to legislation, TfL will push for safety to be the top priority at all times.

Night Overground to Crystal Palace and Croydon

Florence Eshalomi: I have had a constituent contact me with the following question: “I understand the late-night services finish at New Cross because the rest of the track is owned by Network Rail. Is anything being considered to improve the night service for south Londoners? It appears to me that an extension to Crystal Palace or Croydon would be beneficial to many.”

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has considered the value for money that would be offered by extending the current Night Overground service from New Cross Gate to West Croydon and Crystal Palace. Unfortunately, loadings on the current Night Overground service between Highbury and Islington and New Cross Gate are relatively low compared to those recorded during the remainder of the day, with an average of 44 customers on each train as it passes between stations.
Loadings south of New Cross Gate are forecast to be about a quarter of this with (on average) only 10 to 15 customers on each train. At this level of demand, the customer benefit and revenue generated by this service change is unlikely to represent adequate value for money, given the additional costs that would be incurred (which include funding changes to Network Rail’s maintenance regime to accommodate these services). TfL does not therefore plan to extend the Night Overground network at the current time.
Thameslink already offers a rail service through the night from Mondays to Saturdays between various central London stations and East Croydon. Southern offers a service through the night on Sundays between London Victoria and East Croydon. These rail services, combined with London’s extensive Night Bus network, means that there are alternative options for those wishing to travel between central London and Croydon when London Overground services are not running.

Worcester Park fire

Andrew Dismore: Will you publish your letter to the Secretary of State following discussions on the Worcester Park Fire; and any response received?

The Mayor: I am happy to publish the letter to the Secretary of State following discussions on the Worcester Park Fire and any response received.

Water resilience

Andrew Dismore: What London-specific barriers to water reuse and innovative solutions to address those barriers were identified at your Water Resilience in London workshop?

The Mayor: As part of work towards London’s first Urban Resilience Strategy, this workshop aimed to develop a better understanding of water resilience, to achieve more sustainable, circular water systems. These have been identified as one mechanism to improve London’s resilience to challenges including drought, water wastage and localised flooding as part of an overall system to drive down water consumption.
Themes identified include barriers to retrofitting buildings allowing water capture/reuse, which involves a high cost outlay; building regulations not promoting water reuse; and lack of incentives to drive down consumption, such as individual metering.
Opportunities were identified to explore how to plan water reuse and capture infrastructure as part of overall development; to look at potential incentives that will support investment in water reuse; and to identify flagship projects to showcase good practice.
The barriers and solutions are relevant to London, but are also applicable nationally.

Government action on the cladding remediation supply chain

Andrew Dismore: In your response to my question 2019/19946, you stated that your officers had raised the impact of Brexit on cladding remediation works with relevant Government officials. What actions, if any, did the Government state they were taking to mitigate this risk?

The Mayor: I am not aware of any recent actions by the Government to mitigate the impact of Brexit on cladding remediation works.

Warmer Homes Advice Service use in cladding-affected blocks

Andrew Dismore: How many enquiries have been received from and allocations of funds, and other forms of support given, to residents of high-rise residential buildings where cladding is being remediated?

The Mayor: The Warmer Homes Advice Service is predominantly an advice and assistance scheme and so does not collect data on building type. Alongside support with Warmer Homes grant applications and home energy visits it provides support for people in fuel debt and in billing disputes and assists with applications for social tariffs. The service is focussed primarily on the person, rather than their home. It does not therefore record information about individual dwellings beyond tenure and therefore I am unable to provide the requested information.

TfL Workplace Violence

Unmesh Desai: Please provide 2017/18 and 2018/19 data on incidents of workplace violence / aggression broken down across the various modes of transport: Buses, LU, London Overground, TfL sponsored services such as Trams and DLR, and other TfL Surface areas including Visitor Information Centres and Compliance Officers.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has been focusing on the issue of work-related violence and aggression to identify what more it can do to address it. TfL will soon publish its first pan-organisation workplace violence strategy, which sets out a vision of eradicating workplace violence and aggression through strong leadership, prevention, support and learning across the organisation and its operators and contractors.
TfL does not currently hold data regarding staff at Visitor Centres, and there were no assaults reported for office-based staff within the data that is held. The data in the table below is sourced from incidents reported into the TfL Health, Safety and Environment management system and includes TfL employees, as well as contractors such as bus drivers, who are not directly employed by TfL. TfL believes that verbal assaults, such as threats, aggression and hate crime are currently under-reported.
2017/18
2018/19
Buses
Physical
1165
1106
Verbal
2234
1978
Total
3399
3084
London Underground
Physical
514
619
Verbal
1656
1719
Total
2170
2338
Cycle Hire
Physical
3
5
Verbal
16
18
Total
19
23
Dial-a-Ride
Physical
1
3
Verbal
4
3
Total
5
5
DLR
Physical
63
67
Verbal
233
149
Total
296
216
Emirates Airline
Physical
2
1
Verbal
6
7
Total
8
8
London River Services
Physical
2
0
Verbal
12
5
Total
14
5
London Overground
Physical
24
54
Verbal
172
148
Total
196
202
Taxi & Private Hire
Physical
0
1
Verbal
12
6
Total
12
7
Trams
Physical
15
15
Verbal
36
40
Total
51
55
Victoria Coach Station
Physical
2
5
Verbal
0
5
Total
2
10
Compliance, Policing and On-Street Services
Physical
92
66
Verbal
120
79
Total
212
145

New recruits to LFB (2)

Andrew Dismore: If an individual joining LFB has already qualified as a firefighter with another Brigade, what process is followed for their training and deployment?

The Mayor: If joining London Fire Brigade in a transferee round, applicants need to be station-based firefighters serving as a whole-time officer in a UK local authority fire and rescue service who is competent including Unit 9 (FF9-Driving). If successful in this round, candidates would undertake a five day training course before going on to a station. If applying in a trainee round they will go through the whole assessment process and training course before being allocated a base station where they will then need to complete their development book.

Sprinklers on GLA land (1)

Andrew Dismore: Will you conduct investigations into how many tall residential buildings on GLA land have sprinklers and how many do not?

The Mayor: The GLA Group owns the freehold of these sites, but the buildings are let on long leases therefore the GLA is not responsible for building management, including health and safety. These responsibilities sit wholly with the long-leaseholder. The GLA does not hold the information on how many existing buildings have sprinklers.
I am taking important steps to ensure all future buildings which I commission via the London Development Panel 2 (LDP2) are of the highest standards of fire safety. Under LDP2, I will require the provision of sprinklers in all new purpose-built blocks of flats; non-standard residential buildings, such as hotels and student accommodation; and in all new buildings used for care homes, where building users may be less able to evacuate quickly, and in schools. The GLA will be writing to panel members to infrom them of these new requirements.

Bus Safety Performance Index and Safety Performance on TfL’s Bus Operator League Tables

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to Questions 2019/4038with TfL’s recent commitment to publish the 2018 Bus Safety Performance Index, will you ensure that bus safety oerformance will be included on TfL’s bus pperator league tables?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Safety Performance Index (SPI) is not a comparison between different bus operators as it aims to identify areas where safety can be enhanced across the network holistically. It will be published regularly.
The SPI enables all operators to work together and share best practice in support of a safe network rather than work in isolation. This is why it is not treated in the same way as service reliability and will not be adopted or presented in the way you propose.
Safety is TfL’s top priority. It regularly meets with bus operators to review their safety performance and check their safety cultures, supporting my Vision Zero approach to having no-one killed on or by a bus by 2030. All serious incidents on the network are followed up and any lessons are shared with all operators to promote accident and injury reduction.

London Family Fund Allocations So Far

Jennette Arnold: Please provide a breakdown of all funding disbursed by the London Family Fund in each year of its operation.

The Mayor: The London Family Fund launched in March 2018, the Mayor is offering £600,00 over three years. The first round of funding was awarded in September of the same year, and the second round of funding was awarded in October 2019. Please see the table below for projects awarded funding to date:
Name
Amount Granted
Borough
2018
New Economics Foundation
£85,000
Lewisham
Citizens UK
£82,592
Tower Hamlets
Eastside Community Heritage
£20,000
Redbridge
Kids Kitchen Collective CIC
£14,000
Waltham Forest
Wheely Tots
£47,000
City of London
Nature Vibezzz
£50,000
Barnet
Time and Talents Association
£40,000
Southwark
Little Village
£25,000
Wandsworth
Hackney Playbus
£26,147
Hackney
2019
Centrepoint Soho
£20,000
Haringey
The Cares Family
£67,000
Waltham Forest & Haringey
Her Centre
£26,993
Greenwich
St Mary’s Primary School
£10,250
Lewisham, Southwark and Islington
Laburnum Boat Club
£20,308
Hackney
£60k has been spent on grant management fees, with the remaining amount to be spent on the development of a social integration toolkit.
Further details of the projects can be found here – https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/london-family-fund

Transport & Climate Change

Florence Eshalomi: What work is TfL doing to ensure London’s transport system is resilient to climate and environmental change?

The Mayor: Climate change and extreme weather is one of TfL’s strategic risks and it undertakes a variety of work to ensure London’s transport system is well adapted and resilient.
TfL is researching the current impacts of severe weather to help understand the future impacts of climate change. They are also helping to make London more resilient to the effects of climate change by installing green infrastructure which reduces surface water flood risk and provides shade to reduce heat in the summer. Officers share knowledge and best practice with industry stakeholders, such as Network Rail and Highways England, by chairing the quarterly Transport Adaptation Steering Group.
London’s transport system is vulnerable to flooding, so my Transport Strategy contains measures such as increasing sustainable drainage to reduce the risk of flooding on London’s roads. TfL is also increasing London Underground’s resilience through a range of measures, for example by raising floor levels at Elephant & Castle and Old Street stations.
Our transport system is also vulnerable to very high temperatures. Part of TfL’s adaptation is to target communications from early summer to ensure customers carry water and seek help at stations if feeling unwell. Record-breaking temperatures this summer led to a number of challenges, but TfL responded well to keep London moving.

Mini Cabs (2)

Tony Devenish: How is ‘not driving around London while empty’ scored when a mini-cab License is reviewed?

The Mayor: This is not a factor which Transport for London is able to take in to account pursuant to the private hire vehicle licensing legislation. However please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/20381 for details of the steps taken to tackle London’s toxic air.

Cancer among retired firefighters

Andrew Dismore: Will LFB begin tracking how many former firefighters suffer from cancer in their retirement?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/19930.

Retail Innovation Competition

Tony Devenish: Congratulations to TfL and Sook on the retail innovation competition. Please provide further details on the other innovations of the short-listed companies.

The Mayor: In May 2019 Transport for London (TfL) launched its first ever Retail Innovation Competition which challenged companies to propose imaginative ways to use retail space that reflects and adapts to the customers’ changing needs.
TfL shortlisted 10 proposals, before selecting Sook Retail as the winner. You can find out more about all 10 shortlisted companies, and their concepts at: https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2019/september/retail-innovation-winner-offers-retail-space-by-the-hour

Good Work Standard

Jennette Arnold: How many employers in London are accredited with the Good Work Standard and how many workers do they cover?

The Mayor: There are currently 40 Good Work Standard-accredited employers in London. This covers 184,000 employees.

Employment Rights Hub (2)

Leonie Cooper: How will you evaluate the success of the Employment Rights Hub?

The Mayor: My officers are currently developing a dashboard for the hub which will use existing web analytics to monitor a range of measures over time. This includes the number of people accessing the site, which external sites they were signposted from, and the areas of employment law users most frequently seek advice or information about.
My officers are also working with stakeholders from the legal advice sector to develop a methodology for evaluating the impact of the site. Specifically, they are finding ways to evaluate whether the site is reducing the amount of face-to-face time advice services are spending triaging new clients and providing onward referrals to more appropriate services.

Employment Rights Hub (1)

Leonie Cooper: How are you promoting the Employment Rights Hub?

The Mayor: My Deputy Mayor Debbie Weekes-Bernard formally announced the Employment Rights Hub at the London Child Poverty Summit last month and I promoted the launch via a social media video message.
My officers are currently working with a wide range of stakeholders from the legal advice sector to trade unions, to ensure that Londoners are routinely signposted to the hub. They are also exploring options for promoting it at key community locations including libraries, council offices and MPs’ surgeries, and will be developing offline resources to communicate key information to Londoners who may face barriers in accessing the online hub.

Trees (1)

Shaun Bailey: What is the estimate for how many more trees will be planted in London in the rest of your mayoralty?

The Mayor: Since May 2016 I have funded the planting of 175,000 trees, more than the previous Mayor planted over two terms.
I estimate that a further 100,000 trees will be planted in London with Mayoral funding this winter.

London’s High Streets

Leonie Cooper: Recent data from the British Retail Consortium found that that the number of retail employees in the third quarter fell by 2.8%, the equivalent of 85,000 jobs, on a year earlier. What is the figure for London? Can this also be broken down into full time jobs and part-time jobs?

The Mayor: The British Retail Consortium has produced its data on retail employees for the third quarter of 2019 based on its own survey – the Retail Employment Monitor. There are no regional or London estimates available from this source.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the annual Business Register and Employment Survey is the official source of employment estimates by detailed geography and industry. The tables below use this source to compare the latest data on retail employee jobs in London and Great Britain for 2016-2018, including a split for full-time and part-time jobs. It shows that the overall number of employee jobs in London’s retail sector rose by 1.3% between 2017 and 2018, compared to a 0.7% fall across Great Britain.
Note, however, these estimates only cover the period up to 2018, so are not directly comparable with the figures produced by the BRC. More recent (quarterly) ONS estimates of retail jobs in London are not considered sufficiently robust at these levels of aggregation.

Night Czar achievements (3)

Shaun Bailey: What has been the greatest achievement of the Night Czar since the role was formed?

The Mayor: My Night Czar has pioneered night time policies that support the capital’s economy. Since I appointed her, cities like New York and Manchester have also appointed similar roles. We have published the most comprehensive research on any city at night, revealing that 1.6m Londoners work at night and that London’s economy is growing faster at night than in the day.
My Night Czar has established the first Night Time Enterprise Zone pilot project in Walthamstow to boost the high street and give Londoners better access to their city after 6pm. She is developing a Night Time Data Observatory; has set up a Late Night Transport Working Group; and has supported boroughs to develop night-time strategies with 16 Night Surgeries and nine Night Time Borough Champions meetings.
In the past year she has: increased the number of Women’s Night Safety Charter signatories to over 250; launched a new Safer Sounds Partnership to provide safety training and advice for night time venues; and helped protect over 200 venues that were at risk of closure.

Night Czar meetings

Shaun Bailey: How many council leaders has the Night Czar met in the previous year and could she provide a list of them?

The Mayor: The Night Czar has met the leaders, deputy leaders or deputy mayors of six boroughs in the previous year: Cllr Jonathan Cook, Deputy Leader of Wandsworth Council; Cllr Rachel Blake, Deputy Mayor of Tower Hamlets Council; Cllr Peter John, Leader of Southwark Council; Cllr Jas Athwal, Leader of Redbridge Council; Cllr Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council; and Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council.
In the last year she has met with 30 representatives from boroughs through meetings and Night Surgeries. She has also chaired three meetings of the Night Time Borough Champions Network in the last year. These were attended by a total of 90 different representatives covering 28 different boroughs.

Night Czar achievements (1)

Shaun Bailey: What has the Night Czar achieved in the previous year?

The Mayor: In the past year, the Night Czar worked with my Night Time Commission to publish the most comprehensive research on any city at night and implement its recommendations. It revealed that 1.6m Londoners work at night and that London’s economy is growing faster at night than in the day.
My Night Czar established the first Night Time Enterprise Zone pilot project in Walthamstow to boost the high street and give Londoners better access to their city after 6pm. She is developing a Night Time Data Observatory; has set up a Late Night Transport Working Group; and has supported boroughs to develop night-time strategies with four Night Surgeries and three Night Time Borough Champions meetings. In the past year she has: increased the number of Women’s Night Safety Charter signatories to over 250; launched a new Safer Sounds Partnership to provide safety training and advice for night time venues; and helped protect dozens of venues that were at risk of closure.

Night Czar achievements (2)

Shaun Bailey: What has been the greatest achievement of the Night Czar in the previous year?

The Mayor: One of the Night Czar’s great achievements has been implementing the recommendations of the Night Time Commission. The London Assembly Economy Committee’s Rewrite the Night report (Feb 2018) was instrumental in shaping the commission’s recommendations, which were published in January 2019.
Taking forward the commission’s vision, my Night Czar has established the first Night Time Enterprise Zone pilot project in Walthamstow to boost the high street and give Londoners better access to their city after 6pm. She is developing a Night Time Data Observatory; has set up a Late Night Transport Working Group; and has supported boroughs to develop night-time strategies with four Night Surgeries and three Night Time Borough Champions meetings in the past year.
In the past year she has also: increased the number of Women’s Night Safety Charter signatories to over 250; launched a new Safer Sounds Partnership to provide safety training and advice for night time venues; and helped protect dozens of venues that were at risk of closure.

Crime on the night tube

Shaun Bailey: Is the Night Czar undertaking any initiatives to reduce crime on the night tube?

The Mayor: I appointed my Night Czar to ensure London thrives as a 24-hour city. A successful and safe night transport network is a key part of this.
Transport for London (TfL) works with the Night Czar to improve women’s safety at night and has signed up to the Women’s Night Safety Charter. The Charter aims to make London a city where all women feel confident travelling at night. Project Guardian, run by TfL, the Metropolitan Police Service and the British Transport Police, aims to reduce unwanted sexual behaviour and improve women’s confidence to report incidents and target offenders.
TfL and the Night Czar have set up a Late Night Transport Working Group to ensure that workers, visitors and customers can get around London quickly and safely at night. While levels of crime remain low on the Night Tube, the group will look at ways to further improve the safety and security of passengers at night.
These actions will contribute to improving the safety and security of the Night Tube.

Workforce Integration Network Progress (1)

Jennette Arnold: How many people have a) participated in the WIN partnership with the Black Training and Enterprise Group and Moving on Up, b) found a job through these schemes?

The Mayor: The primary objective of the Workforce Integration Network (WIN) is supporting employers to commit to organisational change that will enable them to recruit and retain more young black men.
The projects funded through phase 2 of the Moving on Up (MoU) programme (funded directly by BTEG and Trust for London) will begin in January 2020. You can read about the outcomes from phase 1 online www.bteg.co.uk/content/moving.
However, to date, 400 young people have attended WIN career events. Following our careers event, 90 per centof employers felt attendees were suitable candidates for their companies. 74 per cent of attendees said they were likely to apply for a job and/or training opportunity that they found at the event.
Our full evaluation in Autumn 2020 will tell us more about the progress young people have made over the course of the WIN programme.

Promoting London's Businesses

Gareth Bacon: Do you think you have made the most of your term as Mayor to support and promote London’s businesses?

The Mayor: Yes. Since my mayoralty, London's economy has gone from strength to strength. Our output has increased by 6.1 per centand there has been an increase of 295, 000 workforce jobs. I am also pleased to see unemployment fell from 6 per centto 4.6 per cent.
I am proud to say the London Growth Hub has supported over 4000 businesses through online and face to face programmes since its launch 3 years ago. Building on the London Co-investment Fund, which has to date supported 150 small businesses, created over 2000 jobs and safeguarded more than 400 jobs, I launched the Greater London Investment Fund in May this year, which will support over 170 companies over its lifetime.
We have recently expanded the London Growth Hub into a business support service with a physical presence for the first time, with 5 key ‘hub and spoke’ locations across London and a series of further satellite venues. This face to face service will provide support for hundreds of small and micro businesses in the years to come. And through the new Technology for Business service, we are piloting an exciting new programme to help small businesses access the same kind of technologies that big business takes for granted.
I have given my promotional agency London & Partners additional funding to increase their global footprint to continue to promote London’s businesses overseas and retain investment and jobs in London. Their Business Growth Programme has supported more than 500 businesses and the Mayor’s International Business Programme has supported more than 801 businesses to internationalise.

Night Czar

Gareth Bacon: How successful do you consider your appointment of a Night Czar to have been?

The Mayor: My Night Czar has helped to halt ten years of music and LGBTQ+ venue closures, working with over 200 venues at risk, and established the Women’s Night Safety Charter which now has over 250 signatories. We are implementing the Night Time Commission’s recommendations including a Night Time Enterprise Zone pilot, creating a new Night Time Data Observatory, setting up a Late Night Transport Working Group, and commissioning new research and guidance to help boroughs develop night time strategies. My Night Czar supports every borough through Night Surgeries and Night Time Borough Champions meetings.
My appointment of a Night Czar has been very successful. London is pioneering night time policies that support the capital’s economy and, since I appointed the UK’s first Night Czar, cities like New York and Manchester have followed in appointing similar roles. We have also published the most comprehensive night time research, revealing that 1.6 million Londoners work at night and that London’s economy is growing faster at night than in the day.

Greener London

Gareth Bacon: What have you done to make London more environmentally friendly, and a generally greener city?

The Mayor: I have set ambitious targets that are some of the boldest in the world: to become a zero carbon and waste city and have the best air quality of any major world city.
I have already made significant progress. I have declared a climate emergency and am implementing one of the world’s first detailed climate action plans compatible with the highest ambition of the Paris climate agreement. Through my London Plan I am ensuring all new buildings are zero carbon while decarbonising existing homes through my Energy for Londoners programmes.
I have introduced the world’s toughest emission standard - the Ultra Low Emission Zone - to clean up London’s filthy air. This has already seen almost 75 per centcompliance and a reduction of 36 per centroadside NO2 pollution.
I have delivered on my commitment to make London the world’s first National Park City and have planted more trees in my first term than my predecessor did in his last two.
However, to do more, I urgently need new powers and funding at a national level.

Devolution in London

Gareth Bacon: How are you making the case for further devolution of powers to the Mayor, and which areas of policy do you think are the most important in this respect?

The Mayor: I have made representations to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor calling for the further devolution of powers and funding. I have also made representations to Government with my fellow Metro Mayors as we are committed to campaigning for further devolution and are in agreement that a major and sustained programme of devolution to cities and regions is in everyone’s interests across the UK.
Problems such as inequality, skills, pollution and housing are much better understood at a more local level and we should have more power, and the ability to retain more of the taxes we pay.
I will, therefore, lobby the next Government to hand over more control so I can deliver economic prosperity and improve public services. Specifically, the Government should act on the recommendations of both London Finance Commission reports.
I will be writing to the Government after the general election calling on them to deliver a new devolution settlement for London and England’s other cities and regions.

Transport for London

Gareth Bacon: Do you think that you’ve left Transport for London in a better place than when you inherited it?

The Mayor: Yes. Under my direction, TfL has become more efficient - cutting the size of its senior management team, slashing reducing the number of overpaid consultants, and ending expensive and ineffective private partnership contracts. All of this has happened while keeping a relentless focus on the safety and quality of the services it runs.
TfL’s operating deficit had almost halved by the end of the last financial year as a result of tight financial management. This is one third of the £1.5bn deficit of 2015/16 if the former government operating grant is excluded.
Central government cuts have placed real pressure on TfL. In spite of this, the organisation has risen to the challenge. I have introduced the world leading Ultra Low Emission Zone, increased services on the Jubilee and Northern lines and am well on the way to tripling the amount of protected cycle space since I became Mayor. In addition, I have kept my promise to make travel more affordable for Londoners by freezing TfL fares, introducing the Hopper bus fare and preserving fare concessions.

Waking watches quality assurance

Andrew Dismore: How many times has LFB visited a high-rise residential building where interim fire safety measures are in place and found the waking watch to not meet required standards?

The Mayor: Please see my answer to Mayor’s Question 2019/6267.

Delivering Housing

Gareth Bacon: Are you satisfied with your progress in delivering the housing Londoners need?

The Mayor: Yes. Since taking office, I have successfully secured £4.8 billion from Government to start building 116,000 genuinely affordable homes by 2022. Last year alone I supported the delivery of 14,544 genuinely affordable homes in London, more than in any year since housing investment was devolved to City Hall.
In 2018, I also launched the Building Council Homes for Londoners programme, which provided over £1 billion of funding for 14,924 council homes. In 2018/19 we saw the highest number of council homes started in London since 1984.

Tube noise [4]

Andrew Dismore: Will the planned trial test in Pimlico to install flat head rail on wooden sleepers still go ahead; and if so, when?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is investigating the use of an alternative track fastening product, manufactured by Delkor, across the network including at this location. This could be installed on flat-bottom rail on wooden sleepers, which is the current trackform on the southbound track.
TfL will progress further feasibility and design work to confirm the suitability of this type of product and will provide you with an update on this work once further information is available.

Engine Idling in Barnet [2]

Andrew Dismore: Following on from Question No: 2019/19934, are you aware that there is a growing campaign in East Finchley, led by children from Martin Primary School, to tackle air quality around their school, and specifically against engine idling. Will you congratulate them for their efforts, despite the disinterest of Barnet Council, and do you have advice for them on what action they can take, given the position of the council to be the only one in London not to take part in your campaign?

The Mayor: I am delighted to hear that children from Martin Primary School are taking steps to tackle engine idling. Engine idling action has been undertaken at a number of schools that were provided with audits through my Schools Air Quality Audits programme.
I am disappointed that Barnet Council is not taking part in the campaign which I have funded through my Mayor’s Air Quality Fund and which all 32 boroughs are now participating.
Martin Primary School can find further information and advice on taking action against engine idling and delivering a host of other air quality measures in my Schools Air Quality Audit Toolkits, available here: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/school_aq_audits_-_toolkit_of_measures_dr_v3.3.pdf. I also encourage all schools to join my TfL STARs scheme, which supports active travel to and from school. https://stars.tfl.gov.uk/

Private sector remediation progress (3)

Andrew Dismore: What is the a) modal average, b) highest and c) lowest number of state aid forms that have needed to be collected to progress remediation in high rise residential buildings accessing the GLA-administered fund?

The Mayor: State Aid declarations must be submitted as part of a full works and costs applications. As of 8 November 2019, one London building had submitted a full application. This application is currently undergoing legal checks, including the completeness of its State Aid declarations.

Private sector remediation progress (2)

Andrew Dismore: How many high-rise residential buildings in London in receipt of funds from the private sector remediation fund have a) started and b) completed works?

The Mayor: So far one building has been allocated grant via the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund. Remediation works have not yet started on this building.

Remediation fund values

Andrew Dismore: Are the ACM cladding remediation funds administered by the GLA a fixed value or does the resource available depend on demand?

The Mayor: The GLA is responsible for administrating grant allocations as approved by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Grant amounts are not of fixed value - they vary depending on the scale and cost of remediation.

High Pressure Laminate cladding

Andrew Dismore: Are all London boroughs informing LFB as and when they identify high rise residential buildings with HPL cladding as part of the Government-mandated exercise; and if not, which are not doing so?

The Mayor: In July 2019, the director of the Building Safety Programme wrote to chief executives of local authorities to ask them to identify external wall materials and insulation on all high-rise residential buildings 18 metres and over within their area. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is considering further clarification to assist local authorities in this regard. To date, London Fire Brigade has been made aware of six properties with HPL that have made a temporary change to evacuation strategies as a result.

Work of the Joint Inspection Team

Andrew Dismore: Please provide an update on the work of the post Grenfell Joint Inspection Team.

The Mayor: The Joint Inspection Team is operating and has started its work of inspecting private sector high rise blocks with unsafe aluminium composite material cladding.

Fires in buildings with stay-put still in place

Andrew Dismore: Since the Grenfell Tower fire, how many incidents has LFB attended at high rise residential buildings where stay put is still in place?

The Mayor: 1,334 dwelling fires were recorded with a A1HR attendance (i.e. High Rise) between 14 June 2017 until 6 November 2019. The London Fire Brigade is not able to identify retrospectively from records of incidents attended what the policy for evacuation was at the time of each fire.

Fires in buildings with stay-put suspended

Andrew Dismore: Since the Grenfell Tower fire, how many incidents at high rise residential buildings where a simultaneous evacuation process is in place has LFB attended?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) is currently aware of 252 locations in London where buildings have moved to a temporary suspension of the ‘stay put’ policy and have simultaneous evacuation measures in place.
Of these buildings, LFB has attended 50 primary fires since the Grenfell Tower fire. Of these fires, 33 per cent are categorised as ‘intervention’ incidents, where the Brigade took firefighting action and 67 per cent are categorised as ‘assistance’ incidents, where LFB took no action or only used ‘small means’ such as stamping out or using a bucket of water to extinguish the fire. These figures are for locations that have a temporary suspension of ‘stay put’ and, due to ongoing changes in the number of such buildings, LFB records do not show the number of fires in those buildings that had simultaneous evacuation procedures in place at the time, but have now moved back to ‘stay put’.

Task & Finish Report

Keith Prince: With regard to question 2019/17459, the Government’s response to the Task & Finish report stated ‘Government does not intend to remove the ability of licensing authorities to set their own local standards’. Regardless of any proposed legislation decision, the Mayor does have and would have had that continued ability. Why the delay in releasing findings from the Improving Safety in PHVs consultation?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/19613.

Post-Brexit NHS workforce preparation

Onkar Sahota: How will the GLA’s work on adult education contribute to local workforce strategies being developed with Health Education England, NHS Trusts, and health and care partnerships in London?

The Mayor: I am acutely aware of the pressures London’s health and social care sector faces in recruiting and retaining staff given the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.
Through my Skills for Londoners Business Partnership, we are working closely with representatives from London’s employers and employer representative bodies, including Health Education England, to identify how the Adult Education Budget, and other skills and employment programmes, can be used to support local workforce strategies to ensure employers have access to a pipeline of skilled staff now and in the future.
As part of this, we are inviting bids through my Skills for Londoners Innovation Fund, which I launched in September 2019, for projects that are focused on delivering better employment outcomes for learners in priority sectors, including health and social care.

Bus Services - Frequency Reduction

Tony Devenish: How many bus services in London have seen their frequency reduced since May 2016?

The Mayor: The bus network is constantly changing to better match capacity to demand. Since May 2016, there have been 240 reductions to bus service frequencies across London, reflecting falling demand. These reductions are offset by over 120 routes with service capacity increases and the introduction of eight new routes in the same period, as part of a total of almost 600 service changes across the bus network.

TfL Complaints (1)

Keith Prince: How does TfL categorise the complaints it receives?

The Mayor: Complaints received by Transport for London (TfL) are broken down into the following categories:

Affordable Housing

Gareth Bacon: Are you completely satisfied with your record on affordable housing delivery?

The Mayor: Yes. In 2018/19, I supported delivery of 14,544 affordable homes, exceeding targets set by Government ministers. This was more than in any year since housing investment was devolved to City Hall and was more than double the number of homes started in the final year of the previous mayoralty.
The homes started last year also include the highest number of homes for social rent than in any other year since housing investment was devolved. In addition, as a result of my Building Council Homes for Londoners programme, 2018/19 also saw the highest number of council homes started in London for 34 years.

TfL Complaints (2)

Keith Prince: Please provide a monthly breakdown over the last 5 years for complaints TfL has received in every category?

The Mayor: Please see the attached spreadsheet for a monthly breakdown over the last five years for complaints Transport for London has received.
As different systems have been used over the last five years, more classification codes appear than the 18 currently used.

Workforce Integration Network Progress (2)

Jennette Arnold: When an individual finds a job through the WIN’s partnerships with BTEG and MoU, what tracking of their subsequent career progress is undertaken?

The Mayor: As outlined in my answer to Mayor's Question 2019/20653 WIN’s priority is directly supporting employers to commit to organisational change that will enable them to recruit and retain more young black men, over time these changes will lead an increase in young black men entering and progressing in WIN’s target industries. Due to the projects scale and current focus on employer engagement, career tracking of this nature is not currently being undertaken.
WIN’s partnership with the Moving on Up (MoU) programme (funded directly by BTEG and Trust for London) is focused on strategically aligning employer and young people facing activity across our programmes. You can read more about the outcomes of MoU online www.bteg.co.uk/content/moving.

Trees (2)

Shaun Bailey: How many trees have been planted so far in your mayoral term by borough?

The Mayor: Since May 2016, I have directly funded the planting of 174,417 trees, Transport for London have planted a further 1,838 street trees across the TfL Road Network.
I have funded tree planting in every London borough, with the attached table providing a breakdown. The number of trees planted in each borough varies according to the funding applications received, available planting space, and the type of projects.
This data includes all trees planted through my Greener City Fund grants, tree giveaways and other directly funded programmes, and trees planted by Transport for London.
It does not include the thousands of trees planted without my funding by boroughs, environmental organisations, community groups, businesses and Londoners.

Workforce Integration Network Progress (3)

Jennette Arnold: How many employers have a) engaged with the WIN and b) altered their policy to improve inclusivity following this engagement?

The Mayor: To date, over 70 employers from the construction and technology sectors have engaged with the Workforce Integration Network (WIN) pilot programme, through industry‑focused meetings, roundtables, jobs fairs and events. For example, 50 individual businesses and stakeholders recently attended an employer-focused event for the tech sector;94 per centof businesses who attended felt the event helped them identify practical next steps to improve diversity and workforce integration.
The next stage of WIN will offer more intensive support to businesses, including using our Business Toolkit to develop step-by-step organisational action plans.

Community-led housing (2)

Tom Copley: How much of the £38 million for community-led housing that was announced in January 2019 has been awarded? Could you provide a breakdown of the organisations and/or locations of where this funding has been awarded, and the expected number of homes to be delivered?

The Mayor: The London Community-Led Housing Hub has so far awarded just over £300,000 in feasibility grants from the Community Housing Fund to 24 groups, and further applications are in the pipeline. Some schemes are at an early stage and the number of homes and location are not yet finalised. However, for the schemes where this information is known, a total of over 500 homes could be delivered and schemes could be located in the following boroughs:
In addition, several bids to the GLA for capital funding are currently under consideration.

Property and money laundering

Tom Copley: What would your response be to the findings of a recent report by Transparency International UK, studying corruption and money-laundering cases that involved 421 properties worth a total of £5 billion, a large proportion of which are in London? When seen in conjunction with the Government dropping its previously proposed “Registration of Overseas Entities Bill”, which would have established a beneficial ownership register of overseas entities that own property in the UK, do you think the Government is doing enough to ensure that the London property market is clean, fair and transparent?

The Mayor: It is unacceptable that corrupt individuals continue to stash their ill-gotten gains in London’s property market. These practices are distorting the property market and pushing house prices further out of the reach of ordinary Londoners. The Government promised to inject greater probity and transparency into the UK property market to wash out money laundering, but it seems their efforts are very limited. I don’t think the Government is doing anywhere near enough and I will continue to call on it to progress this important Bill under the next parliamentary session as a matter of urgency.

PWLB interest rate

Tom Copley: What will the impact of the Government’s decision to increase the interest rate for the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) by one percentage point be on the ability of councils in London to build the social homes we need?

The Mayor: The Local Government Association and other sector bodies have made it clear that the Government’s surprise decision to increase the Public Works Loan Board interest rate by 1 per cent could jeopardise council housebuilding projects across the country. With the historically low levels of capital grant provided by central Government already making delivering new social homes difficult, this rate hike further squeezes the viability of councils’ housebuilding plans. For example, Southwark council believes it will add up to £9 million a year to the cost of their new build programme.
I, therefore, support calls for the Government to enable councils to access the concessionary Local Infrastructure Rate for their housing projects (as they already can for other infrastructure projects).

Community-led housing (1)

Tom Copley: Could you provide an update on progress towards the 1,000 new community-led homes that are to be built by 2021?

The Mayor: Good progress is being made towards identifying a pipeline of community-led schemes with capacity to deliver 1,000 homes by 2021. To enable this, I am supporting the London Community Led Housing Hub to support community groups to develop community-led housing schemes. Since its launch, it has assisted 39 community-led housing groups, as well as several London boroughs.
I have also secured £38m of Community Housing Funding from the Government for London (see response to Mayor's Question 2019/20412). Through my ‘Small Sites, Small Builders’ programme, London Community Land Trust have secured two sites totaling 60 homes and LB Croydon has also used the programme’s portal to market a site for community-led affordable homes. In addition, I have ensured that the St Ann’s hospital site will deliver at least 50 community-led homes, making it one of the largest community-led housing schemes in London.

Green number plates

Leonie Cooper: Do you agree with me that, although green number plates could encourage take-up of electric vehicles in London, the policy is symbolic of Government greenwashing given their investment in fossil fuel industries, support for fracking and lack of support for London’s clean air ambitions?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) and GLA officers are currently considering the Department for Transport’s recently-launched consultation on the introduction of green number plates for ultra-low emission vehicles.
I have repeatedly called on the Government to follow London’s lead and help clean our filthy air by toughening up targets to meet the WHO air quality guidelines by 2030 and by supporting a national vehicle renewal fund that will help all UK motorists move towards cleaner cars.

Scrappage Scheme (1)

Leonie Cooper: How did you determine the levels of funding that Londoners could receive for scrapping a car or motorcycle?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has developed the ULEZ car and motorcycle scrappage scheme with input from key stakeholders. The payment level was informed by primary research conducted as part of the scheme’s Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) and a YouGov poll.
Systra’s primary research for the EqIA indicated that a lower payment value of around £1,000 was unlikely to be attractive to car owners based on feedback from potential scheme applicants about their concerns of facing a financial shortfall in purchasing a compliant vehicle. Systra recommended a payment level in the region of £2,000 to £3,500.
A YouGov poll was conducted in August 2019 to further inform the payment level for car owners. The majority of respondents considered that £2,000 was a viable payment level. Based on the EqIA findings and the YouGov poll results, a £2,000 payment level for car owners was recommended by TfL. The evidence suggested that this amount struck the right balance between making the scheme as attractive as possible, whilst maximising the number of people who could benefit from the scheme.
The payment level for motorcycles is set at £1,000. A wide range of compliant, used motorcycles are available for £1,000 and under.

Electric vehicles in bus lanes

Leonie Cooper: What assessment have you done of the resulting increase in bus congestion, if private electric vehicles were allowed to drive in bus lanes?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has previously carried out Electric Vehicles in Bus Lanes research which concluded this change is not recommended.
The bus network is an integral part of the city’s transport network, carrying over six million people daily. Bus lanes assist the efficient movement of people and provide faster, more reliable journey times. Allowing private electric vehicles to enter bus lanes could lengthen bus journey times, deter people from using public transport and cause friction between the two sets of drivers.
Another finding of the research was that letting private electric vehicles use bus lanes would not provide a meaningful incentive for people to switch to cleaner vehicles.

Social Integration Lab Progress Update

Jennette Arnold: Please provide an update on the status of the projects that were successful in gaining social integration lab backing in March 2019.

The Mayor: Since March 2019, the Social Integration Design Lab has supported seventeen local authorities to test new approaches to improving social integration through regeneration projects. Support has included three workshops, two sets of support sessions, and site visits to regeneration projects that have contributed to social integration; as well as a community engagement shared learning session.
We are now working with all seventeen local authorities to bring together learning from the Lab. We will be publishing more information about the projects, including detailed case studies on eight projects, in the new year.

Scrappage Scheme (2)

Leonie Cooper: If all eligible households took advantage of the scheme, what would be the resulting reduction in emissions?

The Mayor: The emissions impact of the ULEZ car and motorcycle scrappage scheme will depend on what kind of vehicle is being scrapped, and how successful applicants choose to spend their payments. The scheme is intended to support low income and disabled individuals following the introduction of ULEZ and in preparation for ULEZ expansion in October 2021, thereby improving compliance with ULEZ emissions standards. Payments may be put towards acquiring a compliant vehicle but it is not expected that all applicants will choose to purchase a replacement vehicle. Transport for London has not made projections about how payments will be spent and it is therefore not possible to quantify the emissions impact of the scheme at this stage.

Scrappage Scheme (3)

Leonie Cooper: With your scrappage scheme now in place, what is the total amount available to Londoners seeking to scrap their vehicle or motorbike, taking into account other schemes?

The Mayor: The total funding pot available to Londoners to take older, more polluting vehicles off the road is £90m.
£23m has been allocated to the van scrappage scheme, which is available to micro businesses, sole traders and charities who can apply for funds to support the scrapping of older, more polluting vans and charity minibuses and switch to cleaner vehicles.
£25m has been allocated to the ULEZ car and motorcycle scrappage scheme to help low income and disabled Londoners scrap older, more polluting cars and motorcycles in favour of cleaner vehicles and greener forms of transport to help clean up London's toxic air.
£24m has been added to Transport for London’s existing £18m delicensing fund which supports taxi drivers who want to delicense their Euro 3, 4 or 5 vehicles.

clean up the bus fleet (4)

Florence Eshalomi: Can you confirm that all new single-deck buses will be zero emission from 2020?

The Mayor: Yes, Transport for London has confirmed that all new single-deck buses will be zero tailpipe emission from late 2020.

Transport Infrastructure

Gareth Bacon: Are you completely satisfied with your record on transport infrastructure delivery?

The Mayor: I am very proud to have delivered significant improvements to the capital’s transport network. This includes increasing services on the Jubilee and Northern lines; increasing capacity on peak time trains on the DLR; introducing new signalling on the Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines; taking bold action to tackle London’s toxic air; ensuring London now has one of the greenest bus fleets in the world; and continuing investment in my Healthy Streets programme to encourage more people to walk and cycle –all at the same time as freezing public transport fares to make them more affordable for Londoners.
But I am not satisfied that TfL continues to operate without certainty of Government capital funding beyond 2020/21. It means that TfL is unable to properly plan for the future investment London needs and has necessitated the pausing of the procurement of Piccadilly line signalling, has impacted vital schemes like the major works to deal with congestion at Camden Town and Holborn stations.

ESOL Plus

Jennette Arnold: How many people have a) started and b) finished courses run through the ESOL plus scheme?

The Mayor: The ESOL Plus programme funds pilots that test innovative approaches to overcoming barriers to ESOL for adult learners in London. I have funded projects to improve access for learners with childcare responsibilities through ESOL Plus Childcare, and for those in insecure or low paid employment through ESOL Plus Employers.
ESOL Plus Childcare has supported 116 learners to access ESOL provision, and ESOL Plus Employers is still undergoing final evaluation. The final numbers of Londoners attending all ESOL Plus programmes will be included in the programme evaluation report in early 2020, which will include themes such as learner retention. Learning from the programme will inform future Adult Education Budget policy development.

Promoting the London Living Wage

Jennette Arnold: How many employers in London are accredited with the Living Wage Foundation and how many workers do they cover?

The Mayor: There are 1,762 employers headquartered in London accredited with the Living Wage Foundation. This represents an increase of more than 100 per centin the number of accredited employers since my term as Mayor began.
It is not possible to calculate a precise figure for the total number of workers in London working for Living Wage-accredited employers, as many of the larger Living Wage employers in London also have significant non-London locations and do not publish figures for their workforces broken down by location.
I will continue to promote the benefits of the London Living Wage and campaign for more employers to pay it, especially through my Good Work Standard. I want employers from all sectors - both big and small - and from across the capital to reach this benchmark for good employment practice.